


cynosure

by maiaslightwood



Series: red tales of edom. [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Background Catarina Loss/Dorothea "Dot" Rollins, Background Clary Fray/Maia Roberts, Background Meliorn/Raphael Santiago, Curses, Fairy Tale Retellings, Lightwood Siblings Feels, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Magnus Bane & Catarina Loss Friendship, Merman Alec, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Magnus Bane, Royalty, Sleeping Beauty Elements, True Love's Kiss, love at second sight, magic! lots of magic!, magnus & everyone friendship but baneloss rights most importantly!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2020-07-25 19:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20031409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maiaslightwood/pseuds/maiaslightwood
Summary: He wondered if Alexander could hear the rapid beat of his heart or if he was aware he held the power to break it, one final time.Once upon a time, in a land of red sands and black seas, a prince is cursed to never find true love. His one salvation may be the mysterious merman fate seems to draw him toward. If only he can take a leap of faith before his time runs out.— a fairytale-esque story of curses, fate and the price of true love.





	1. prologue: a touch of destiny

**Author's Note:**

> So, here it is. If you’ve always been looking for a too-long, trope-heavy, very-gay fairytale look no further because I come bearing gifts! I don’t think I’ve ever written anything this long with actual plot before, it’s a milestone in my writing history, yay! This was supposed to be like 2k words when I started it, then I upped it to 5k, then to 10k and well this is just…. out of hand. It’s also quite different from my usual writing style and took some getting used to but I’m thankful for pushing myself out of my comfort zone of one shots with little plot and much feelings to... well, this.  
A huge thank you to my beta [Grace](mirrorofliterature.tumblr.com) (volunteer_of_hufflepuff), without you I would have probably failed to finish this a long time ago! And to my wonderful artist [Charl](katlisha.tumblr.com) (ohprongs), who also organized the big bang this is part of. Check out the other works in the big bang [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SHBB19).
> 
> Now, for a list of inspiration to give credit where credit is due: the very bad Netflix movie (do not recommend!) and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5DMik0ipH8) very soothingly read audio book of Andersen’s Little Mermaid (do very much recommend!) as well as an abundance of Disney songs. I kind of incorporated Disney’s & Andersen’s versions of Little Mermaid into this as well as some of Sleeping Beauty and then sprinkled a whole lot of other tropes and stories here and there for good measure. Sometimes more _is_ more.
> 
> As you can tell the story isn't quite finished yet but I can't promise a regular updating schedule. I will try my very best though.  
As livetweeting is now a thing apparently, you can yell over at twitter with _#cynfic_ if that’s your thing?
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**:  
As a general thing, Magnus’s parents’ names aren’t mentioned in this fic. It’s alluded to that Asmodeus is Magnus’s father but it’s not stated. I decided to do that due to the canon backstory of Asmodeus raping Magnus’s mother and being abusive towards him. While his father in this fic wins no awards for good parenting, he isn’t nearly as bad and I know some people feel very uncomfortable about such a change of character. So just a head’s up!  
_for detailed trigger warnings, read the notes before each chapter please._

> **cynosure** – _a focal point of admiration_ (1: the northern constellation Ursa Minor _also_: North Star;  
2: one that serves to direct/guide; 3: a center of attraction/attention)

* * *

**“Oh, I am happier than a man should be! My fondest dream – that which I never dared to hope – has come true. **

**You will share in my great joy, for you love me more than anyone does.” — ** _ The Little Mermaid_, Hans Christian Andersen

Once upon a time, there was a land of red sands and black seas where every creature possessed a magic of its own and miracles were not just dreams of a desperate soul; where love was still known to conquer all and friendship and family worth dying for. Here lived a queen and a king who had longed for decades for a child of their own. Seasons changed, empires on the magicless earth above rose and fell and yet the couple remained childless and heartbroken for it. As the years passed, the king and queen had almost given up hope. Holding a baby they could call their own, one to rule the kingdom after them, to spoil and love as they pleased, seemed like a fever dream. 

One dark night the queen was taking a midnight swim in the castle’s lake for there was a river that flowed directly into it from the Eternal Sea, said to have been interwoven with magic which could heal all ailments and pain.  
As she was swimming in the deep waters, alone with her thoughts and worries and with the castle’s towers looming over her, sounds of greatest desperation reached her ears. It was a cry so heart-wrenching the queen could not keep herself from following it, diving through the waters towards its source. Between rocks and the gate, which separated the castle's lake from the river beyond the gardens, was a figure splashing in the waters, whimpering for help. And as the queen drew closer, she could see it was not quite a human caught there: where one would have legs, there was a shimmering tail of blue scales glittering beneath the water's surface.

The merfolk cried out again, a sad sound that carried in small waves over the lake's edge, like a call for help in a language lost to everyone except the creatures under the sea. 

“Shh,” the queen soothed gently and as she did not have one unkind bone in her body, quickly she helped move the rocks between which the merfolk’s tail had been trapped. Her guards and handmaiden had followed her around the lake's edge by now, crying out in worry, yet they did not seem to see the creature hidden in the shadows.

Moonlight hit a row of pearl white teeth as the creature hissed and threw its head back, exposing more of themselves to the light. It was a woman with dark hair falling around her beautiful face like a curtain, a tiara of dark diamonds and seashells sat above her head and big dark eyes looked beyond the water's surface, the rest of her face hidden. 

As the queen pulled the last of the rocks free, the mermaid promptly put some distance between the human and herself without another sound. Only in the open water’s safety did she turn back, eyes wary and considering the queen for a moment. The queen waited with her heart racing and breath held.

No one had seen a merperson in decades or centuries even and the tales spoke of angry, violent beings who hunted humans for fun. Yet something in the dark depths of those eyes seemed more frightened, surprised, _in awe_ than cruel and kept her rooted to the spot.

At last, the mermaid slowly raised her hand, a single finger towards the queen's forehead.

"I thank you, Your Highness,” she said in a voice so warm it seemed to drift and envelop all the surrounding water. "For saving my life, I will grant you this one wish: the one thing your heart desires more than all else in this world."

And as her fingertip grazed the soft curve of the queen's lips in the ghost of a touch she sealed it done.

On the coldest day of the coming year when snow painted Edom’s earth in white for the first time in decades, the queen gave birth to a beautiful son with cat’s eyes the color of molten gold like his father. The kingdom rejoiced at the birth of an heir and the king and queen called for celebrations that would go on for seven days and seven nights. On the seventh day, a grand banquet was to be held in the prince's honor and therefore, the king invited seven of his eight cousins to bless his child with the magical gifts they possessed, as was tradition among the Nine Realms' royalty. The eighth one, however, he spared no more than a thought to even as the queen urged him to offer the invitation as a sign of goodwill and peace. The king simply tore the letter to shreds in anger, for his cousin Azazel longed to possess parts of Edom’s kingdom and was not to be trusted at such joyous celebrations nor around his only son and heir.

And what joyous celebrations they were. The royal couple spared no expenses and never had the kingdom seen any festivities like it. Every noble man and woman was invited to sit inside the grand castle halls and be treated to the king and queen's generosity. And while they ate and drank the most expensive of food and wine, the cousins stepped forward to grant the prince their gifts.

The first gifted him with magical power that would be unmatched in all the realms and wrapped it all in the name _Magnus _which he pressed to his heart. The second gifted him with a heart of good that would see through all lies. The third gifted him with wisdom beyond his years and a thirst for knowledge. The fourth, fifth and sixth gifted him with swiftness in battle, strength and fearlessness and the compassion and strategy of a great leader. And for each gift, someone present would raise their cup and propose a toast until everyone joined in and drank to the newborn child.

“To the king! To the queen!”, rang out through the halls.

“Long live Prince Magnus!”, another shouted and was met with roaring applause. “To the prince!”

The baby watched all this from his crib, gurgling and squealing when another cousin let their magic drift towards him and stretching out his small arms towards the spells.

Yet before the seventh cousin could step forward to grant his wish, the doors of the throne room blew open and with them, Azazel stepped through. On a wind of hellfire and coarse brown sand that blew out every candle and light within the hall, he flew straight to the prince's crib, knocking back everyone in his way and taking the baby into his arms. Engulfing them in a cloud of grey smoke that fended off all spells thrown at him by the guards and cousins, he pressed a finger to Magnus’ heart to give a gift of his own.

"Sweet prince,” he said with booming laughter that carried over the raised voices around him. "Though your royal father may have tried to keep me from you, it would insult my good reputation if I would not celebrate your birth. Therefore, my gift to you is this: you shall walk through this life and be loved by anyone you meet.” A rush of whispers rose through the rows of people, surprised at the generosity. Azazel’s smile bled into something more wicked then. “Yet the one love you shall not find is that of the truest heart and so you shall die alone and unfulfilled before your thirtieth birthday."

And as the smoke rose alongside Magnus' cries, Azazel disappeared and left the room in a silence that made his words echo in every present person’s bones. No one dared to speak for a moment until the king angrily shouted at the guards to run and capture Azazel even if such was a forlorn task.

With tears falling from her eyes, the queen gathered the small prince into her arms, pleading with the last cousin to undo the curse for there was no greater pain to her than thinking her son could never find the happiness of true love.

The seventh cousin stepped forward slowly, his magic an old and wise thing forged in the deepest forests and waters. With sad eyes, he pressed his fingertips to the prince's heart, seeking out the dark magic which had wrapped itself around it.

He sighed and shook his head but still called upon the winds of fate and destiny. "My dear prince, forgive me but I cannot turn back my cousin's curse. All I can do is give you this chance at happiness: There will be one to love you truly and wholly. Three times you shall meet them and three times they shall prove to you that their heart is true. If you can promise your heart in return, you shall both live happily forever. But break their heart and there is no stopping Azazel's curse from continuing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: a meeting underneath the moonlight.
> 
> come talk or yell or roll your eyes @ me on [twitter](twitter.com/wylanfaheys) or [tumblr](eternalalec.tumblr.com)!


	2. the heart's truest wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In desperate times, young Prince Magnus makes a wish to the sea. Its answer is one he did not expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now chapter two is where we finally get to meet not only magnus but another important character 👀wishes are made and payment exchanged and fates changed forever too
> 
> you can yell over on twitter with #cynfic if that’s your thing i guess?
> 
> **Trigger Warning (spoiler-ish):**  
Parent being sick, though it is resolved by the end of the chapter.

As the magical gifts had promised, Prince Magnus grew up to be a wise and powerful boy with a heart of gold matching his eyes. He was beloved by nobles and servants alike but none loved him more than his own mother who tried to shield him from the curse put on his soul. She told him stories of the good he would bring, the destiny waiting for him with his endless gifts. And young Magnus was not aware of the weight Azazel’s curse would have, of the pain a heart longing for love could cause. Life for the prince was easy and careless within the castle walls and with the gifts he possessed. He studied and played and laughed and knew little about the terrors of the world.

Yet when the prince had just seen his eleventh birthday his mother fell sick. The king called for all of the healers within his kingdom and beyond, those who could wield magic and those who relied simply on powers of the earth and sky, but none were able to help the queen in her pain or say what it was that had taken a hold of her. And with every day, a little bit of strength seemed to leave her body and soul.

Magnus sat by her bedside every day and every night, crying and praying and whispering until the servants had to drag him away forcefully so he may get some rest. Yet the prince had other plans. He thought of the story his mother had liked to tell him of her heart’s truest wish being granted and so, desperate to see her live, the night of the full moon when its power was highest, he snuck out into the castle gardens. Unafraid of the creatures or monsters it could hold or the dangers which were whispered about the merfolk he swam to the edge of the deep dark lake on the gardens' outskirts.  
He gripped the gate with his hands and closed his eyes and with all the power coiling in his heart sent out a call across the waters of the river, to the waves crashing on the shore nearby and far beyond to the depths of the Eternal Sea. Again and again, he muttered the spell he had memorized to call forth the merfolk and promise them anything in return and laced it with the grief and desperation in his heart to nurture it.

He stood there for what felt like hours, surrounded only by the sounds of the night, the aching cold of the lake and his own voice drifting off more and more into little sobs which shook his body. The clouds separated, moonlight sparkled across the water and then there was the touch of something cold and wet on Magnus' fingers. On instinct the young prince jerked back, opening his eyes only to find another boy staring back at him. His hair was dark and wet, sticking to his forehead and his eyes shone a mix of brown and dark green in the milky moonlight. Just below the surface, Magnus could make out the shape of a tail, scales shimmering in fascinating shades of green and blue, so different to the wet, pale sheen of his upper body. 

"Do not be afraid,” the boy said with eyes wide as the moon above and his hands gripping the gate that separated them. "I heard your calling." His voice was low and barely carried through the dark, rough as Magnus imagined the waters out on the Eternal Sea, as if he had not used it in a while.

"I thought you would be older,” the prince blurted out as he looked the boy over. He seemed to be about his age yet it was hard to tell by the way most of him was hidden by water.

The boy inclined his head and his dark brows furrowed as if he had been insulted by the prince's words. Quickly Magnus pressed on, moving closer to the gate. "Your age matters not. If you can help me, I will give you whatever you want!"

"Anything?” the boy asked curiously.

"Anything! Diamonds or rubies or gold or-"

"I have no need for those things." The boy's gaze drifted over the prince for a moment, watching closely as his face fell. "I know who you are, Prince Magnus."

"Then you know, whatever you desire, I could procure it for you. I-"

"What is it you _wish_?" The boy's eyes did not leave the prince's, curious yet calculating.

Magnus looked back up to the castle, to the highest tower in which his mother was sleeping, not a single candle in her window where usually she would stay up reading. "My mother is very ill. Nothing can heal her and they say she will..." His eyes stung at the thought, his lips trembling so much that he could not finish the sentence. There was no need to, the other boy understood all the same.

A cold finger was placed on Magnus' cheek, wiping away a single tear and leaving the lake's water in its wake instead.

"Do not cry,” the boy said. "Your eyes are too beautiful to be sad."

And then, before Magnus could do much else but feel the blush rise to his cheeks at the sudden compliment, the boy whispered something to the sea below. Small waves leaped from where his lips almost touched the water's surface and from the middle of the circle came another whisper in a tongue Magnus had not and never would learn. Finally, the boy pressed a cold wet fingertip to the prince’s forehead, barely a touch, that made Magnus shiver nonetheless.

"There,” he said and smiled, a beautiful, kind smile that had the power to warm even in the middle of a cold, dark lake. "It is done. Your mother shall no longer be troubled."

Magnus' heart leaped in joy and surprise and he gripped the gate to steady himself. "Oh… thank you. Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

The boy's eyes flickered to Magnus' hands and his smile turned into a shy, private thing. Slowly he tapped a cold fingertip against the silver ring on Magnus' right hand. It was a gift from his father for his tenth birthday, the _**M**_carefully crafted into the silver with powerful magic so it would never fade or be destroyed by any force. The king had enchanted it to always find its way back to Magnus no matter the circumstances. Yet, the decision to part with it was an easy one in light of repaying the boy for a spell so needed.

"What is your name?” Magnus asked as he slipped the ring from his finger and reached out for the other boy's hand. It was surprisingly soft and not much colder than his own despite the frigid water.

"Alexander... Alec, well my sister… she called me Alec and everyone else does too now." His words seemed to tumble over one another, his gaze fixed on his left hand where Magnus slid the ring onto his middle finger.

"I like Alexander,” the prince said with a smile and a last squeeze of his hand. "Thank you. Truly."

Even in the moonlight, it was easy to make out the blush leaving a wash of color on the boy's cheeks and he was surprised to find merfolk could be affected by such a thing as human compliments.

"Perhaps,” the boy began, not letting go of his hand quite yet even as he drifted away from the gate a little. "Perhaps one day I can trade it back to you... for a wish of my own."

Magnus smiled, a warmth and calm settling over him he had not felt since his mother had fallen ill. "I would like that."

It seemed then as if the two had woven a bond between them even in so little time, that Magnus almost reached out to hold Alexander back and ask him to stay, to talk and learn about one another. With one last glance, however, the boy let go of the prince's hand and disappeared into the dark waters, the scales of his tail flickering for a moment in its depths. Then he was gone and Magnus realized he had never asked why a ring, even one drenched with magic, had suddenly been enough to grant his wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: the plot finally takes flight, a prince grows up and celebrates a birthday he won't forget.
> 
> come talk or yell or roll your eyes @ me on [twitter](twitter.com/wylanfaheys) or [tumblr](eternalalec.tumblr.com)!


	3. on eternal tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the night of his twenty-fifth birthday, Prince Magnus is suddenly reunited with someone from the past. Chaos ensues but amidst all of it, he finds a moment of peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter three or: we are finally getting some real plot and feelings, yay! feat. a timejump, some beloved faces and a night out on the sea.
> 
> you can yell over on twitter with #cynfic if that’s your thing i guess?
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**:  
Brief description of drowning.

As the years passed, Prince Magnus never quite forgot about the merman her had met on what he deemed the darkest night of his life. Sometimes he would go out to the castle’s lake and sit on a rock nearby or would stand on his balcony to look out to the beach beyond the castle gates and watch the waves crashing onto the shore. Once or twice he even fell asleep there until the morning sun rose with reds and pinks to wake him. 

He kept such a secret from everyone else, even his closest friends – the children of the noblest families, whom he grew up with and who knew everything else there was to know about the young prince. He learned the art of sword fighting next to Maia and Meliorn, the three of them and their boasting pushing each other to be better. He studied the oldest scrolls in his father’s library alongside Ragnor, always wise beyond his years, and Raphael, who was mostly silent if not for the occasional witty remark. Lastly, he found a love for music and dance with Dorothea, a beautiful girl with the prettiest laugh anyone had ever heard. His favorite lessons though were those where he learned to follow and compose spells of his own, to throw protective shields and angry fireballs and stitch skin back together.

Those noble children were always at his side, filled his days with laughter and created a bond so deep he knew it would last lifetimes. And yet even his most beloved friend Catarina, kind-hearted but ready for all shenanigans the prince would suggest, did not know about the merfolk Magnus had met and kept wishing he would meet again. She had asked a few times, eager to know how the Queen had healed seemingly overnight from a sickness everyone claimed would take her life, often while they were brewing potions. Magnus simply shrugged, even though he added too much powdered dragon bone to his cauldron which spat out ugly splatters of green then that painted them both. And so, the Queen’s miraculous recovery remained a mystery to the whole kingdom except her son.

The older Magnus grew, the less he ventured out at night to stare at the dark waters, the pointlessness of it wearing him down. Even the soothing sounds of waves crashing nearby beyond the castle walls or the silver flickers of moonlight on the lake’s surface could not fight off the sinking feeling of hopelessness in his chest. By the time he was a man of twenty years, he had given up on it altogether. His days were taken up more and more by the duties of a prince and he knew daydreams of his own adventures could never come true. For his twenty-fourth birthday, his father gifted Magnus with the duty to lead all the kingdom’s armies in the ongoing battles against higher forces and most importantly in fights at the border with Dudael where the demon reigned who had once cursed the prince’s fate.

With time and age, Magnus also came to understand the magnitude of the chains placed upon him and his heart, for every lover he took in his years would stay with him for a short while only to leave him hollow and alone once more. More often than not they pretended to love him and yet with the heart of gold gifted to him, he could always see their admiration for what it truly was: a longing for his crown, title, and power. By the time Magnus came to be the armies’ high general, he had given up on love altogether, too, just as he had on ever seeing the boy again who had helped his mother and taken his ring.

Instead, the prince focused himself on the task of strategy and war, of honing his powers to protect his people and kingdom. And soon, as he was promised upon his birth, his magic would have been no match for anyone within the Nine Realms and beyond if the prince had known how to wield and control it the right way. But just like the secrets and love in his heart, some part of it was always locked away even in the most tiring battles

On the night before Magnus’ twenty-fifth birthday, the prince and his companions took a ship out onto the Eternal Sea to celebrate and dance and drink until the morning. It had been a long year, one almost all of them had spent at battle, exhausting their powers and worrying for their lives and loved ones. Now, Magnus had been called home for months of celebration and duties as a prince and his friends had been allowed to follow. Fighting at the border still continued, but it was a war that had begun centuries before the prince’s birth and would most likely continue for centuries still.

No, the people on board the beautifully crafted ship did not think of battle or spilled blood or the anger for their enemies. They laughed and joked and summoned the most expensive wine the king’s cellar held with a snap of their fingers. At one point, Simon, a boy full of life and with a talent for music, played a tune on his flute and drenched the melody with all of the other instruments not present, so it sounded as if an entire orchestra was on board the ship too. Catarina and her wife Dorothea took to dancing, twirling each other around the deck. And soon Maia was dragged into the middle of the ship too by the beautiful redhead she had brought home with her from the frontlines. 

The women clapped and threw their heads back laughing and finally convinced Magnus, Ragnor, and Meliorn to dance as well while Raphael and the crew manning the ship looked on in amusement. So loud was their joy and laughter that it echoed over the deep dark waters and above the crashing waves. They carried on for three, four, five songs or more, red-faced and singing with wine on their lips until the captain clapped Simon on the shoulder and told them to lower their voices.

“Merfolk swim in these waters and they are most captivated by music and laughter,” he said with a voice close to steel, his grey eyes drifting over the darkness of the sea as if one of those creatures would come out any second.

Ragnor simply laughed at that, for he was the most well-read of them all and knew the stories sailors told each other were but a mere legend. “No one has seen merfolk in decades. They fear us more than we should ever fear them.” 

The prince remained silent and pressed his lips together so he would not tell the story of his mother and himself. He had not thought about the merman he had met in so long but now he could not stop his mind from racing back to that night. He could hardly recall what the boy had looked like under the moonlight or how his voice had sounded for the memory had been turned over in his head so many times it had faded too much.

“You are very wrong, my lord,” the captain argued and again, he glanced around as if their conversation was something forbidden. “Sometimes they appear out of nowhere, just out of reach and sometimes they wield a magic of their own to drag a whole ship and its crew to the ocean ground.”

“I heard a merfolk’s kiss can grant a human the ability to breathe underwater,” Simon piqued up cheerily, unbothered by the tension in the air until the captain threw a cold glare his way. 

A silence fell over the ship then as all of them wondered if what the sailors said were true and the good mood was suddenly damp with slow nagging fear. Easily the prince could have told of his own encounter and reassured them that for all he knew, merpeople were generous and kind and their magic nothing to be feared but he bit his tongue, afraid no one would believe him. And somehow the memory still felt too precious, too rare to share with anyone else.

As it turned out, fate had something else in mind.

Just as they were all about to sit down once more and the captain gave Simon another stern look not to start the music again, a voice drifted over to the ship. It was the sweetest tune any of them had ever heard and as they turned to look for its source, captivated by this almost angelic sound, the ship stopped moving altogether. The wind died and the waves slowed so abruptly only magic could have been the source. Were it not for the sweet song, panic would have surely overtaken the prince and his companions or a portal would have ripped open to escape whatever danger was lurking - but like their ship, they were rooted in place. 

As they turned starboard, staring into the dark of the night, the waves moved just so that a figure could be seen swimming in the waters below. Slowly it drew closer and soon the people aboard could make out long dark hair embellished with sparkling seaweed and pearly seashells. It fell over her shoulders and beneath the water’s surface and hid the soft curves of her body. But beyond that, her face had the most beautiful features any of them had ever seen. Further below whenever the glow of the ship's lanterns would move just so they could see the reddish shimmer of a tail turning this way and that to bring the merfolk closer.

“Why did you stop your music,” the mermaid called out to them with a soft giggle like the tiniest bells in the castle’s tower on days of celebration. “I’ve never heard a tune so sweet before.”

Simon blushed at this and moved closer to the railing and when nothing happened closer still. “The same can be said for your song, my lady.”

The mermaid giggled again and then for a second flapped her tail above the waters, splashing the side of the ship. “I am no lady but thank you for the compliment.”

At that, the captain and his crew were shaken from their stupor. Within seconds almost all of them had raised their hands with glittering protective magic pointed at the mermaid who seemed unbothered by the threat.

“What do you want,” the captain boomed all red-faced and clenched teeth just as Ragnor stepped forward as if to act as a shield between the crew and their target, holding up his own hands.   
“Oh, would you stop? She seems just as interested in us as we are in her!”

“She’s a demon of the sea and come to eat us all alive,” one of the sailors shouted with trembling voice but the mermaid merely giggled once more.

“Believe me, you landfolk taste most dry and unpleasant.”

“So, you have eaten people before,” Simon said, still not moving back from where he was close to the railing though his voice sounded warier now.  
The rest of them had slowly moved closer too and now could clearly peer down at the creature in the water who shrugged at the question as if it was not something that should scare them.

“There are those of us who delight in playing with you people on your fish made of wood, I will admit. But that is not what I am here for.”

“And what _are _you here for then,” Maia called out, with eyes wide and clearly intrigued, for she had studied the Eternal Sea and ventured further than any of them. Often, she had brought back rare stones or seashells and told of water creatures she had seen but never had she encountered one of the merfolk.

The mermaid went quiet at that, staring up at them with dark eyes until her gaze stopped on the prince himself and her mouth twisted into something of sorrow. “My brother and I heard your song and laughter and he knew it was the prince aboard the ship.”

Magnus froze at her words, blinking down at the mermaid in confusion.

The rest of his companions turned towards him, almost in perfect synchronization.

“Isabelle,” a voice hissed then from the depths of the shadows but the owner of it could not be seen in the dark of night.   
At once the prince’s friends moved to his side, hands up and gazes frantic and all beautiful songs forgotten in the need to protect Magnus.

“Now, can we shoot?” the captain asked drily, hands still raised. Without waiting for another word, one of the sailors threw a blast of magic at the mermaid. He missed as she was quicker and ducked beneath the waves, only to resurface a few feet further away. But instead of fear even from such a distance, Magnus could see it was anger that laced her brow, the silent, most dangerous kind.

Quickly the prince stepped forward, wanting to intervene and stop the crew from doing more damage or driving the merfolk away for good but before he could say a word the other voice spoke up again, closer now and so achingly familiar.

“No, please. Do not be afraid.”

It had been years since Magnus had last heard those words and the voice was deeper now, older but its essence was still of the same kindness.

Close to the ship, closer than the mermaid called Isabelle even, a second person had appeared with dark hair sticking to his forehead and more of it on what was visible of his naked chest. From so far up Magnus could not make out much of his eyes but as they landed upon him they seemed to soften and without much effort, the merman’s lips slipped into a small smile.

“Oh,” Magnus said and his heart fluttered within his chest, “it’s you.”

He stepped closer, gripping the railing with shaking hands even as everyone else aboard the ship protested and Ragnor grabbed at his arm to hold him back. Magnus simply held the merman’s gaze, looking for a spark of recognition and yet distantly worried that maybe he had mistaken him for someone else after all. It proved to be a mindless fear when the merman swam even closer despite the threat still pointed at him from the people on board and his smile grew too, something of relief and a dim shade of happiness dancing across his face.

“And so, we meet again, Your Highness.”

A few moments of silence passed then as they simply stared upon each other. Alexander’s eyes flickered over whatever was visible of Magnus’ face and body, possible that he too noticed the differences time had made since that night over ten years ago.

Magnus could feel the racing of his heart, the joyous leap it took in his chest for finally meeting his mother’s savior again after having resigned himself to never have the opportunity again. And if he was not mistaken he could read a similar relief within Alexander’s gaze.

Only was the quiet broken when Catarina spoke up, stepping closer to the railing too and lowering her hands. “So, does Magnus have a secret merman lover we did not know about?”

At that Alexander spluttered and when the light of the lanterns flickered over his face it showed the blush that had risen to his cheeks, another reminder of their first encounter when Magnus had been so intrigued by the red showing so beautifully on his face at a simple compliment.

The prince simply chuckled but his eyes betrayed a soft fondness as he did not dare take them off Alexander, almost afraid he was a fragment of his imagination. “No, he is an old friend.”

Another silence settled over them, the people aboard the ship shifting nervously and their gazes jumping between their prince, the foreign creature of the sea and Alexander’s sister, who swam closer once more yet more cautiously than the first time.

There was so much the prince wanted to say, words of how he had waited and hoped and never forgotten but they seemed too fond and too private for the audience they had. Alexander too seemed at a loss for words now and even if he had wanted, did not get a chance to speak.

Within the blink of an eye and a loud boom of thunder, the winds changed.

Where there was quiet ever since Isabelle had appeared to them, there was now a howl blowing into the ship’s sails and making the waves rise higher by the second. The happiness in Magnus’ heart was suddenly poisoned with a drop of fear and then another and _another _until it had overtaken his whole body for it was clear this too was an act of magic and not a natural storm.

The crew yelled, running to secure ropes and the rudder while the rest of them grabbed onto the railing in panic. The merfolk siblings were barely visible now, dark waves throwing them this way and that and every so often one of them would appear above the waters with eyes wide in fear. The prince’s companions tried to yell something to each other but above the wind it was hard to make out any words. Instead, they held onto one another, watching as the sailors tried and failed to bring the ship to safety.

With a loud cracking sound lightning flickered across the sky, casting them all in bright white and rain started pouring down, obscuring their vision and making the wooden planks slippery beneath their feet. The ship shook from one side to another like a leaf tossed to the wind and tilted further towards the sea each time, shaking the people onboard as well.

“Magnus,” more than one voice cried out but the prince did not dare look who they belonged to. He tore his gaze away from the dark waters and with a flick of his wrist and a mind strong enough to bend through the magic surrounding them a glowing portal ripped into existence, bright and large enough to swallow three people at a time. At once he gestured his friends to run through, the safety of his parents’ castle glimmering on the other side. Simon went first and then Meliorn pulling Raphael along and Maia and her redhead Clarissa with hands clasped, followed by those of the sailors who could make it to the portal from wherever they were on the ship. At last, it was Catarina and Dorothea and then Ragnor who stopped just short of the portal to grab his arm.

“Go, I’m right behind you,” the prince shouted over the thunder and cracking of the ship's planks but as his friend ran through to the other side, Magnus made the mistake to look back towards the water once more.

There was nothing but a swirl of dark waves there, foaming and angry like someone had raised the sea to match their wrath and no sign of Alexander or his sister and Magnus’ heart plummeted into his stomach, hoping they had made it out alive. 

Yet just as he turned to run through the portal himself, the ship beneath his feet gave one last aching sound and then cracked down in the middle. Magnus tried to take another step but the planks were slippery with rain and saltwater, breaking apart right where he stood. The ship tilted dangerously again just as he clung to the railing which broke apart beneath his hands too. And then the prince was free-falling into the deep waters below.

Perhaps there was someone calling his name above the sounds of destruction but he could not tell, frozen by the icy waves crashing over him, throwing him whichever way they wanted and making him lose all sense of navigation. Panicked and with lungs aching for air he tried to summon a new portal but the waters had a magic of their own, deeply guarded by the merfolk and unable to be untangled by any person born of land. Splashing and turning the prince tried to reach the surface but the heavy weight of his boots and clothes and jewelry only pulled him further and further down.

His last thought was of the glittering, red sun above his home and his mother’s smile, the weight of his friends’ arms around his shoulders and then of how it felt like he was floating even within the stormy waters, carried by something that was not the current.

The prince awoke with the sun beating down on his face, a song ringing in his ears and immediately coughed up what felt like half of the Eternal Sea. The ground beneath him was made of hard stones that dug into his hands as he braced himself to finally breathe air back into his lungs. Disoriented, confused and gasping he blinked against the bright light around him, barely able to take in his surroundings. Then a cool hand landed on his lower back, a grounding presence that made Magnus turn around abruptly, ready to raise his hands in defense only to freeze when he saw who was sat beside him.

“Oh,” escaped his lips, cracked by the roaring waves.

_Oh_, his heart beat too as it took in the worried look on Alexander’s face and all the features he could see clearly now in the bright daylight from so close; his hair now dried and more a dark brown than black, his jaw a sharp line underneath smooth skin but the most striking were his eyes, a swirl of green and brown beneath dark lashes as they stared right back at Magnus. The sunlight gave it all a new coloring, showing the soft pink of his lips, reflecting in the small droplets of water on his shoulders and the prince found himself drinking in every little detail so urgently as if Alexander would vanish right before his eyes. And perhaps they would have sat there for longer just looking at one another if the prince had not started coughing again, spitting up water and trying to suck air back into his chest.

Alexander’s hand found his back once more, gently smoothing up and down along his spine until Magnus had calmed down enough to truly turn back and take in their surroundings.

He was barely on land, dry and harsh red stones beneath his hands and sand under his fingernails, waves crashing nearby and the sun had just risen over the horizon. Where they sat though seemed to be a pool of some sort for the water was deep, Alexander’s arms braced on the edge, his tail shimmering even beneath the dark sea. And oh, was that a sight too, of greens and blues and all the colors of the rainbow when the sunlight hit his scales just so. 

“Are you alright?” Alexander asked, much softer now than the prince had ever heard him speak before and bringing him back from his silent observations.

“Where are we?” Magnus croaked out with a voice dry from disuse and brine, ignoring his question. He could only recall the shipwreck and his friends and then the angry waters swallowing him and with a sudden sort of panic gripped Alexander’s arm.

“My companions-”

“All safe, I believe,” Alexander replied with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. “Thanks to you and your power. And I would have brought you back home too if not for the storm throwing us further out on sea and your clothes weighing you down. This is a small island, as close to the kingdom as I could get.”

Only then did Magnus notice his feet were bare and when he took stock of the rest of his attire he found his breeches were torn at the seam of their legs and his shirt was mostly undone and dried a soft red instead of its original deep burgundy, his cloak nowhere in sight.

“You saved me,” he asked with his gaze fixed back on Alexander even as he knew the answer already.

“Of course.” The merman’s brows creased, an expression so human the prince found himself smiling instantly. His hand still resting on Alexander’s arm slid down to interlace their fingers, squeezing them in reassurance.

“Thank you. Again.”

Alexander, however, did not reply, eyes lowering to look where their fingers were intertwined and now Magnus could truly see up close how the color rose to his cheeks, painting them a pretty pink underneath. His fingers itched to reach out and see if his skin would be warm to the touch too. Yet what kept him rooted in place was the way in which Alec’s brows remained worried, the way he seemed to look for the right words to say.

In an act of comfort or sheer instinct, the prince let his knuckles graze the merman’s fingers, surprised again by how smooth his skin was, even if it was much colder than his own. And then they grazed something colder still. Surprised he found that on Alexander’s ring finger, glinting in the sunlight, sat the ring Magnus had given him so many years ago.

“You still have it,” the prince breathed out in awe. When he found Alexander’s eyes again, it seemed the light had returned to them for now and the shade of soft joy within their depths made it hard to look away.

“Of course,” he replied, but his voice too had lowered and a new silence fell over them, swallowing all the words they wanted to say.

It occurred to the prince then that perhaps they had found themselves in an odd situation after only having met once before so many years ago and yet somehow, he felt as if fate herself had wrapped a cord around him that drew him nearer to Alexander even now and made him bolder. It sparked a rush of feelings within his chest, the memory of a lake underneath a moonlit night and how he had felt like a string had tugged right from Alexander’s hand to his as he had placed the ring on his finger.

“I’ve waited for you so often when I was younger. So much so that at some point I had convinced myself you were only a figment of my imagination,” His words were a soft, rushed whisper, although there was not a soul around that could overhear. Somehow Magnus knew he had to speak the words now or he never would.

Alexander only smiled apologetically and his tail flicked above the surface once, sprinkling them with drops of seawater in a gesture Magnus could only read as nervousness. “Maybe I- it’s not that simple.”

“How so?”

“The spell you used that night is what drew me in.” Alexander paused then and clearly kept more of how the spell had worked hidden but Magnus did not dare to press further. “You could only summon me so close to your land and I could only fulfill your request because of the lake – it will grant you only your heart’s truest desire.”

The prince pondered that for a moment, thinking back to the story his mother had told him since he had been a little boy and how then too, only her dearest wish had been fulfilled by the mermaid she had rescued.

“So, what changed… last night?”

Alexander seemed confused by the question for a moment as if the answer was obvious. Slowly he lifted his other hand from where it balanced him on the edge of the pool and tapped the silver ring with his index finger. Belatedly the prince realized that neither of them had let go of the other’s hand. It seemed too strange to do now and so he simply held on and drew on the comfort the touch brought him.

“Somehow, it _knew _you were near,” Alexander admitted in a voice so low Magnus had to lean in further to hear him above the roaring waves. “So, I followed- we followed where it led me. It was not the first time I felt it but the other times, I think, I was too late.”

The thought Alexander too had tried to find him made Magnus smile and sent a rush through his veins – much like magic’s electricity, only this one was of an unfamiliar kind that seemed to tangle itself around his heart so easily as if it had always been there. “My father gave it to me and enchanted it to always find its way back to me.”

Alexander’s eyes widened at that and quickly he let go of his hand to pull the ring from his finger. “Then you must have it back! I never should have asked for it in the first place, it was not right-”

“Stop.” Quickly Magnus halted his movements, squeezing his hand and carefully sliding the ring back where it belonged. “It is yours now and fair payment for your magic.” When Alexander tried to protest, he kept on: “I meant to thank you again, now that I am older and understand better. And for rescuing me today. I do not know how to repay you for that.”

The merman shook his head, sighing, a warm gust of air that brushed the prince’s cheeks, which he felt heating up at their closeness. “It is nothing I would ever want payment for.” He bit his lip, his gaze drifting somewhere far over Magnus’ shoulder, the light in his eyes dimming. “Truthfully, it may have been my fault you were ever in danger in the first place.”

Magnus set up straighter even as the muscles in his back screamed in protest, tired and sore. On instinct, he withdrew his hand and ignored the shadow that fell over Alexander’s features.

“How so?”

Alexander heaved another sigh and now, with hands empty, clasped them together upon the stony ground. It did not slip the prince’s attention how he fiddled with the ring in what seemed to be a nervous habit and he tramped down on the desire to reach out and still his movements again.

“We are not allowed to talk to you humans. My- the Queen has forbidden it. It was she who raised the storm.”

“How do you know?”

Alexander shrugged, focusing his eyes back upon Magnus now with an apologetic smile. “Her magic is easily recognizable if you have been at the receiving end of it before.”

It was easy for the prince to make the connection then. “When you helped me all those years ago… when you helped me just last night, it will get you in trouble.”

Yet instead of whatever reaction Magnus expected – a worried nod maybe or a sad frown – the merman simply gave another shrug and suddenly there was a glint in his eyes he had not seen there before, making the different shades of green and brown dance. “Who says she has to know?”

Magnus considered this for a moment and wondered how exactly Alexander fit into this and who he truly was. On land, a monarch’s wrath was feared by all and from what he had tasted of magic yesterday, the Queen of the merfolk was not one to be merciful. In a flash of worry, he reached out once more, his hand seeking out the smooth skin of Alexander’s shoulder, this time in a firmer grip.

“Can you promise me she will not hurt you?” 

_I could not bear it if you were hurt because of me, _the string around his heart called silently.

Alexander did not reply for a moment, his eyes suddenly wide with something Magnus thought to be surprise. Truly, the merman’s eyes were telling more than his words or touch could ever reveal and the prince found himself wanting to know what else they could silently whisper to him if he had the time to learn their language fully.

Slowly, Alexander nodded. Then, after another moment passed where they simply stared upon one another: “You should get back to your castle, Your Highness. People will be worried.”

The prince knew, of course, and had not forgotten that it was his birthday too. Yet at the same time, it pained him to think of parting from Alexander and never seeing him again. For now, he did not understand why a part of him wanted to stay in a moment floating somewhere out of reality’s reach. The few minutes in which they had shared pieces of themselves with each other now seemed so short but so significant and had made all other things disappear from his mind like quickly drifting clouds. There was so much to say, so much to ask too, for he wanted to know more about life under the sea and more importantly, _Alexander himself_. His lips yearned to ask about his sister and magic, what things he enjoyed and if he too could sing so beautifully.

For the blink of an eye, Magnus considered lying and pretending his strength and magic needed more time to recover even as he could feel the powerful thrum of it in his veins. It was, to be fair, a muted shade of what it usually felt like but drawing up a portal to home was one of the first things he had been taught as a child alongside Catarina and Ragnor and Dorothea and did not need much more than a snap of a finger now that they were out of the reach of all other magic.

So, he nodded and gave a smile as gentle as the brush of his thumb along the merman’s shoulder. “Thank you again, Alexander,” he said for a third time and after a moment of consideration: “I hope this time it will not take us fourteen years.”

“I shall try my best,” Alexander replied with a playful smile that made Magnus chuckle and his heart feeling light for just a second.

With a last pat to his shoulder, he let go and slowly tried to get to his feet. A little wobbly at first after the exhaustion, he could feel Alexander’s worried gaze on him until he found his footing. A snap of his fingers – much easier than expected and it had been last night – and a portal burst into existence, ripping through time and space with a golden glow. Alexander seemed quite fascinated by it, leaning closer over the edge of the pool so much so that his tail flickered above the surface of the water. When his eyes found the prince’s, they were filled with wonder and, if Magnus was not mistaken, a touch of sadness too.

“Farewell then, Your Highness.”

The castle flickered just on the other side of the portal, an image without sound that called its prince home. Yet Magnus hesitated to step through just like the night before, pressing his lips together and pondering what comfort he could offer the both of them. “Should you ever find yourself on land… come and visit?”

Alexander’s smile, happy and bright and worth every trouble, was the last thing Magnus saw before he stepped back into the life of a prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: a change of scenery, a heartfelt rescue and some sibling bonding!
> 
> come talk or yell or roll your eyes @ me on [twitter](twitter.com/wylanfaheys) or [tumblr](eternalalec.tumblr.com)!


	4. interlude part i: all the sea's might

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life under the sea still has some surprises in store for Alec. Mainly, the power of a ring once given to him by a prince he can't forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter four or: my favorite one to write yet! a good portion of flashbacks, pining (?), humor and a dive into the merfolk's world.
> 
> you can yell over at twitter with #cynfic if that’s your thing I guess?
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**:  
Brief descriptions of a character drowning.  
Mentions/hints to emotional abuse by a parent (similar to s1/early 2a Maryse).

Far below, where no being of land had ever ventured, sat a palace so grand it could easily rival the one Prince Magnus grew up in. Seven white marble towers loomed over a garden of the most colorful flowers that could grow under the sea, where fish would spend their days chasing each other.

Here, on a night where the water’s surface was as smooth as a mirror, Alexander was born to the reigning Queen of the Sea, blessed with the calmness of the deepest waters. He was the oldest of four and yet the most silent of them all. Where his brothers and sister would spend hours upon hours chasing sunken treasures or riding sea dragons or racing each other through the roughest waters, Alec — as his sister had called him — would stay within reach of the castle and practice his magic, read every enchanted scroll the castle’s library possessed and listen to what his mother would teach him of ruling.

The only thing his siblings could enthuse him to do was to watch from afar when the land people drifted by on their fish made of wood or when they would throw magic in the air that sparked in all of the colors of the rainbow. Alec would watch with eyes wide as the moon even when the _ships _(as he learned) would be nothing more than a black spot on the horizon. The humans and their customs fascinated him so much that he would only stop asking his parents or grandmother or servants questions when their disapproving looks weighed too heavy on his heart. He did not know where his curiosity came from as he had been told for as long as he could remember that the people on land were dangerous and he was not allowed to get close. And still, even the most gruesome tales his brother and sister would tell each other at night were not enough to kill his longing for knowledge but seemed to fuel it instead.

The night things changed for young Alexander, he had been sitting by the window, staring into the wide dark sea as his siblings slept soundly in their beds. The waters were never quiet even at night and most fish cared not for the time of day. But tonight, above the usual constant background noises, there seemed to be an undercurrent of whispers. Louder and louder they grew in a tongue not known to Alec but he did not have to understand the words to _feel _them. It had been a call so desperate that clung to his heart, making him ache as if the pain within those whispers was his own. And before he knew it, he had leaped from the windowsill and out into the dark sea.

As if guided by some invisible force, his fins and the current took him closer and closer to the voice calling out to him, further away from the castle than he had ever dared to go. Worry and carefulness did not matter as all that had taken hold of his heart was to help the poor soul calling out for him. And that poor soul, as fate would have it, had been Prince Magnus.

Alexander had heard of the royalty on land and their son from one of the older, wiser merfolk assigned to tutor him and his siblings. It was not hard to guess that the boy standing on the edge of a lake, a castle’s shadow looming over him and dressed in the finest silks he had ever seen, was indeed a prince. Briefly, he wondered if all princes were this beautiful and sad.

It was only later when he had left with Magnus’ ring on his own finger and a magic thrumming within his veins he had never felt before, that he truly thought about what he had done. Swimming so close to land, talking and aiding one of their princes and letting his own magic be altered – it went against everything Alec had believed in until that night. He could not pinpoint if it had been Magnus’ spell tugging at his heartstrings or the surprise at seeing a human be so vulnerable with a merfolk that had pushed him to help and throw caution to the calm nighttime wind. Whatever it was only fueled the longing and curiosity within him, to see more of the life on land and how maybe it was not so different from his own under the sea.

As the years passed, Alexander could not forget about the human he had encountered and found himself wondering on many a night how he was and if he too thought of him sometimes. All too eagerly the sea prince studied every piece of literature he could find about the people on land and asked anyone who might have interacted with them as many questions as he could. The fish and sea dragons found it amusing and would indulge in recounting tales of danger and adventure to the boy while he petted or polished their scales. And every so often one would tell Alec a story of a human that had saved them or fed them or of children playing with them in the shallow waters. Such stories would give him hope that maybe what he believed to be true of Magnus was not just wishful thinking. So with a spark of happiness in his heart, he would twist the ring sitting on his middle finger and think of golden eyes and a kind smile.

He cherished the token Magnus had given him so much that he never took it off, for fear of losing it. Its origin he kept a secret from his parents and brothers and even the story of how he had found it on the ocean floor earned him mostly disapproving looks. Only his sister knew the truth and when at first, she had been excited about his adventure, eventually Alec would notice the worried look in her eyes whenever they landed upon the ring. Still, he found he could not part with it, for the memories it held but especially once he realized it held a magic of its own.

The first time he felt it, he had been in the middle of practicing a silencing charm and, at first, he had thought the warmth radiating from the smooth silver to be a side effect of a spell performed not quite right. Yet after a while, he realized the ring was silently urging him to go, trying to lead him somewhere almost the same way Prince Magnus’ voice and magic had led him years ago. Despite his usual carefulness, Alec had followed the call of the ring, letting it guide him through currents and waves, but when he finally rose through the water’s surface, all he saw was a ship too far away to catch up with. Attached to its mast, however, was the red and black flag of Edom’s king and Alexander’s heart almost leaped from his chest as he realized whose presence the ring must have responded to.

Over the years, the same thing happened again and again and yet every time Alec finally made it to where the magic called him, the ship was just out of his reach. He was too afraid of his mother’s disapproval and what he might find to go back to the river that had led to the castle on land. Sometimes he found himself swimming to the beach near the palace, to watch lights twinkle from afar or listening to the sounds of celebration.

Then, finally, luck seemed to be on his side.

On another night when the waters lay almost still, Alexander had gone with his sister to search for the most beautiful of sea flowers. They lay in a field she had discovered days ago and had to be collected for one of her spells while they bloomed underneath the waxing gibbous moon. They had been half-way there when his ring had started to spread warm tendrils of magic up his arm, an invisible force gently pushing him in a different direction.

A soft gasp fell from his lips, one his sister heard nonetheless, with her gaze following his to his left hand. The ring glowed dimly within the dark waters, a pulsing of gold and yellow that cast shadows over both of their faces as Isabelle swam closer. Curiously she eyed the ring for a moment and then her brother with the same look he felt could always see right through him.

“Maybe we will find more flowers-"

“We should go to him,” Isabelle interrupted and grabbed his hand tightly.

There was nothing that Alexander wanted to do more than follow where it led and see if finally, maybe, he would see the prince again. Yet years of disappointment and fear of what they might find, what danger he may put Isabelle in, made him hesitate.

“I have tried many times, Iz. It never worked and who knows what could happen if you-”

But again, his sister did not let him finish, tugging at his hand insistently instead.

“You will never know unless you try. And frankly, I am tired of seeing you mope over this ring and that human prince of yours.”

Alec barely had the time to grumble “I do not mope,” before Isabelle had steered them towards the currents of the nighttime waters and they left the field of flowers behind. All they had to do was follow where the ring led and whenever Alexander would stop and doubt their quest it just seemed to pull harder, aware of his heart’s desire.

Finally, they broke through the water’s surface and found themselves just short of a ship, swaying gently with the waves and with the colors of Edom flying high on its mast. Alexander's breath caught in his throat then as this was the closest he had ever come to seeing the prince again. The ring on his hand seemed to sense and agree with his joy for it glowed even warmer as if greeting its true owner. A soft breeze brought with it the laughter and songs from the deck and Alec felt as if something in his chest stirred at the thought that one of those voices belonged to Magnus. So enchanted was he by the sight and sounds and the taste of sweet possibility on his tongue that he did not notice his sister swimming closer and closer to the ship and into the light its lantern cast out onto the sea.

“Isabelle,” he hissed just as the music onboard stopped and the voices lowered so he could not make out what they were saying. But the princess had never been one to listen to anyone if she had set her mind to something and so into the quiet she sang a sweet melody of her own. The magic of her voice laced itself into the winds and waters, stilling the ship with easy grace. Even from such a distance, Alexander could see the glint in his sister’s eyes, the curious fascination at seeing humans so close. Much like he had so many years ago, she seemed to have forgotten all the old tales and warnings they had heard all of their lives.

The next moments passed in a blur as the humans looked out onto the sea and spotted his sister. Alec remained within the shadows, unable to tell his fins to move forward and too captivated as his eyes landed on the man he presumed to be Magnus. Used to the darkness of the sea it was not quite so hard to make out the soft gold and brown of his eyes, the smile tugged into the corners of his lips, the way the lights danced on his skin, half of his chest exposed from the buttons of a dark shirt undone. Other people stood beside him, and it would have been a lie to say they were not pretty or fascinating in their own way, but no one drew Alexander’s gaze as the prince did. It was why he only realized the gravity of the situation when a soft quiet settled over the waters. 

“My brother and I heard your song and laughter and he knew it was the prince aboard the ship.” It was not quite the truth, and Alec was thankful that his sister did not mention the ring and its powers, but still, it was too much. The humans aboard the ship seemed to think so too as he noticed Magnus stiffening and the rest of them exchanging worried looks.

“Isabelle,” he hissed, ready to drag her away again to keep them both safe and the humans calm but his voice seemed to only make things worse. In a flurry of movement, the prince’s companions had surrounded him and raised their hands towards the waters and one of them even shot a blast of magic towards Isabelle. His sister ducked beneath the waves, too quick for the flickers of blue and red to catch her and when she resurfaced a moment later he could tell her patience was waning. 

Without much thought and before her or the humans could do any more harm he swam into the light, raising his voice again to be heard: “No, please. Do not be afraid.”

Merfolk’s hearts always beat fast but Alexander felt as if his was about to jump right from his chest as he stared up at the humans. It missed a beat entirely when his eyes landed on Magnus and he could see a flicker of recognition cross his features. 

“Oh. It’s you.” 

His voice was no longer that of a boy, but the soft note of it did remind Alec of the night they had met, of sad eyes and unfamiliar magic. He looked happier now as he stepped closer as if there was any way to bridge the distance between ship and sea. Unconsciously, Alec did the same. 

It was strange how everything and everyone else seemed to fade as the two princes stared upon one another, tracking the changes time had made. Only the voice and the movement of a woman next to Magnus shook him out of his stupor, the lantern’s flames leaving a golden glow on the deep umber of her skin and the tight braids falling over her shoulders.

“So, does Magnus have a secret merman lover we did not know about?”

Alexander was suddenly glad for the darkness and the way it hopefully hid the blood rushing to his cheeks. For a second even, he had to avert his gaze, too bashful to look the prince in the eyes or maybe let anyone see the way his heart glowed in his chest.

“No, he is an old friend.” And it was too hard to keep looking away then, when the prince’s voice carried a note of softness Alec was not used to from anyone but his sister. A small eternity seemed to drift by as they held each other’s gaze once more, not caring about their surroundings. The sea prince could tell there were things Magnus wanted to ask from the way his lips seemed to open and close again, undecided. And he too was curious and eager, ready to understand why for so long a memory from fourteen years ago had never quite left his heart or mind. 

Any words they had wanted to say though were washed away by a storm unmistakable in its fury. The waves seemed to scream and roar in the disappointed voice of his mother, loud and angry and righteous as they rocked the ship. The wind blowing across the sea was as bitingly cold as the disapproving looks the queen would throw, bringing with it a wash of icy rain. 

On instinct, Alec dove away from the ship, towards his sister who had already taken off in the direction of home with a panicked look. Though instead of following her, he resurfaced above the roaring waves, trying to make out what was happening onboard the ship as the planks groaned and sails thrashed in the rain. 

“Magnus!” he cried out without meaning to, his heart aching with worry and trying to find something he could do to help.  
“Alec,” Isabelle’s voice was hardly audible over the wind and cracks of thunder but he ignored her and watched in relief as magic flickered aboard the ship and people hurled themselves into safety. For a moment, despite the regret settling in his bones at their time being cut short, it seemed as if his worry for Magnus was unwarranted as everyone else on board ran through the flickering portal. Then Magnus turned towards the open waters in a swirl of gold magic and the black of his coat. Lightning struck. Within the blink of an eye, the ship gave away with an aching sound, breaking apart in the middle. Alexander dove beneath the waves to avoid being hit by splinters of wood. When he resurfaced the ship before him was a wreck, pieces of planks, barrels and all other sorts of human things floating about the water. All the while, the rain did not stop. 

“Magnus!” he cried again, trying to be heard above the storm’s anger. A part of him thought and hoped and prayed he had made it through the portal alive even as, rationally, he knew the shape he had seen tumbling into the waters could be no other than the prince. 

A flicker of something caught his attention then, like half a spell not quite able to reach its full potential and when Alexander dove beneath the waves this time, he saw the lifeless body of the prince, dragged down towards the ocean ground as humans always were. As fast as his fins would allow, with his heart racing equally as much, Alec reached for the human, catching him around the waist and dragging him back to the surface as he knew they needed air to survive.

The storm was dying down slowly, the wind ebbing away and only the rain making it a struggle to see where they were or where they should go. The prince’s body was heavy and limp in his arms and the waves were determined to drag him under again. Quickly, Alec rid him of his boots and coat, shedding the extra weight and maneuvered them so his chest was pressed to Magnus’ back, careful to keep the human’s face above water. Then there was nothing left to do but swim and look up at the stars for guidance.

The more the waves calmed, the easier it was to locate where they were but even so, Alexander realized his strength would not be enough to carry Magnus all the way back to his castle. The prince had been unconscious all this time and his body seemed to grow colder by the minute but Alec did not dare to think of why this could be. Nor did he take time to dwell on how closely they were pressed together, how Magnus’ head rested on his shoulder so close to his own face or how he had imagined their reunion quite differently. Instead, he focused on moving them forward, flipping his tail with all the strength he had and keeping his arms safely locked around the human’s waist.

Slowly, the night seemed to fade into day, the darkness of the sky yielding to a lighter shade of blue and Alexander realized they were not far off a little island close to Edom’s capital. With all his strength left after hours of swimming, he steered them towards the stony beach and, finally, carefully placed Magnus’ body at the edge of a small pool that was just deep enough for the end of his tail to grace the sea bed. He barely took time to catch his own breath or give his aching body rest, instead leaning over the edge of the pool to roll Magnus onto his back and to let his worried gaze flicker over him, checking for any injuries. There was no blood or wounds, but his features looked pale and lifeless. When he reached out to gently brush a knuckle across his cheek, his skin was cold to the touch. 

Worry crawled up Alexander’s spine then, like the most insistent branches of kelp and, ignoring his own exhausted limbs, he maneuvered himself onto the stony ground beside Magnus to get a closer look, his fins drawing nervous circles into the water’s surface. There was not much he knew to do other than gently rearrange the human’s arms and legs into what he deemed a comfortable position with the hope that it would help. 

If anyone under the sea knew how to heal humans from drowning, it was a well-kept secret as most creatures could not care less if they died on the deep ocean floor. For all of their own injuries, simple spells sufficed, carefully crafted out of melodies and tunes. Alexander himself had never truly studied them, more focused on the complicated sequence of words that brought about courage, accuracy, and strength instead of training his voice in song. What he knew were pieces of melodies his mother or sister or the court healer had used on him for smaller pains - yet it was the only chance he had. Softly at first and under his breath, the prince started to hum the notes he distantly remembered, more and more confident with each passing note so it wove together into a soothing song. He had no memory of lyrics or even how it continued beyond the first two verses but stubbornly, insistently, he carried on with his gaze fixed on the human prince. And strangely, the more he sang, the more he felt his own heartbeat rise as if in greeting to the melody’s meaning and the way it spun around the two princes in a slow swirl of magic.

So caught was Alexander in his task and worry that he barely noticed the splashing sounds of bodies resurfacing from the waves. Behind him, two other merpeople peered at the princes on the beach, a multitude of feelings flickering over their features at the sight and sounds; from relief to confusion to aghast surprise.

“Alec, we were so worried,” Isabelle said softly as if scared to spook her brother while she swam closer, trying to get a look at his face and stopping his song.

“That… is a _human_!” The other, a blonde merman, exclaimed in shock almost at the same time, his two-colored eyes wide at the lack of distance between the sea prince and the unconscious person lying in the sand. Alexander simply sent him a dry look over his shoulder with no patience for his brother’s dramatics. “Indeed. Thank you for your very clever observation, Jace.”

A moment of silence passed between them in which both Isabelle and Jace observed the human cautiously for they had never seen one up close before. Their mother had made sure of that with stern words since they were little children and no matter if the both of them were far more rebellious than their oldest brother, they had never quite dared disobey her in that regard. The stories told of fish and merfolk captured and hunted for food enough to keep their distance. It was quite a sight to see their usually rule-following brother was now sitting so close to a human he had rescued from certain death, hazel eyes clouded in worry and hands only a breath away from touching the lifeless body before them.

“Is it still alive?” Jace asked tentatively then, trying to get a better look at the human and assess whether or not they should be prepared for a fight. Isabelle promptly elbowed him in the ribs but beyond a quick wince, he did not seem to mind or realize why she had done so. Instead, cautiously, he swam closer and closer to the edge of the pool, right next to where Alec sat beside the prince. His scales drew a streak of gold and pale orange through the waters.

“I am sure he will be fine,” Isabelle reassured them, her warm brown eyes fixed on her oldest sibling, on the tension in his shoulders and the nervous flickers of his tail over the water’s surface. None of them knew enough about humans to figure out if Magnus was indeed recovering or – even though it was a possibility, Alec did not want to think of – how to bring him back if he was not. It was hard to understand at all how a little seawater could leave a creature so pale and tired or take their life even when it was the thing that gave strength to merfolk. 

With a deep breath, as if steeling himself for battle, Jace grabbed the prince’s naked foot, barely concealing how he turned up his nose as he touched and smelled the human’s skin. Without much further ado, he pressed the underside of it to his ear, listening intently for a moment. All color seemed to drain from his already pale complexion then, eyes cast down as he lowered Magnus’ leg onto the ground again. “I am afraid there is no heartbeat.”

Alec hissed, a sound low in his throat usually reserved for attacks and hunting, and flicked his tail more insistently so a wave of seawater crashed over his brother’s head, bringing his carefully slicked back hair into disarray. “They do not have their hearts in their _feet,_ you fool!”

Jace’s astonished “They don’t?!”, was barely audible over the fit of giggles Isabelle let loose. 

Alec simply sent both of them another glare before fixing his attention once more on Magnus and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. It did not take much to figure out that such was a sign that the prince was very much alive. And, as human’s upper bodies looked much like their own, perhaps their hearts sat within their chests too. Most carefully Alexander reached out, brushing his fingertips over the place where he supposed Magnus’ heart would be if it did mirror his own. The material of his shirt was mostly dry by now, a barrier to feeling the prince’s skin. But when Alec pressed a little harder, mindful not to hurt the human, he could feel the faint pulse of _something _and with every passing moment, it pacified the worry in his own chest.

“I think he will be fine." The words were more an unintended whisper to soothe himself than anything else. Gently, just for a moment to indulge in his own relief, Alec brushed a dark strand of hair from Magnus’ forehead, lingering for a second or two. He did not notice the look his siblings exchanged, turned away as he was, both surprised and worried at the sheer tenderness and affection their brother was showing towards this human, something he had never done with anyone who was not them or their littlest brother.

“Then maybe we should go back home,” Jace said after a few more beats of silence, narrowly avoiding Isabelle’s elbow this time. When she sent him a glare not too different from their older brother’s, he simply shrugged.

“What?”

Alexander barely noticed their little argument, too transfixed in making sure Magnus’ chest kept rising and falling steadily, in tracking the way color returned to his face with each passing moment. “You two go,” he finally said without turning around. “I will stay to make sure he is alright.”

“What? Alec, no, he could hurt you! Who knows what these humans thi-”

Jace’s protests, as well-intentioned as they were, were quickly shut down by their sister, who shook her head at him. Again, the two seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes alone, enough to keep him quiet for now though the crease between his worried brows did not lift.

“Come on, brother. I am sure at home people are already looking for us.” Isabelle linked her arm through Jace's, tugging at it not too gently which had him losing his balance and dropping further into the pool. 

Alexander hardly noticed their little quarrel nor their gentle goodbyes. He looked up only when the splashing of waves rose for a moment to a different, sharper rhythm and found Magnus and him now alone on the stony beach, his siblings nowhere in sight.

On the horizon, the sun slowly crept higher, reaching her golden arms out over the sea and starting a path up the beach. Steadily she warmed the land and dried Magnus’ hair and clothes, but Alexander’s skin too. When the heat of it was too unbearable, his body aching from the night’s fatigue and the slow exhausting blaze of the sun, he slipped back into the pool. The water hissed for a moment as it came in contact with the warmth of his scales but he barely noticed it at all, leaning over the pool's edge again to close as much distance between Magnus and him as possible.

With every passing moment, a bit of color came back to the human’s skin until it had reached the warm, golden glow of the ocean’s most beautiful sands. And with it, Magnus’ chest rose higher, his breaths deepening and eventually his eyelids fluttering. Though when his eyes finally opened fully, he immediately turned around and choked on what seemed to be a gallon of seawater.

On instinct, Alexander reached out and put a comforting hand on the prince’s back, which seemed to be the wrong choice as Magnus spun around, arms half-raised in defense and face set in determination despite his exhaustion. Or the right one, maybe, as slow realization settled over Magnus' features. His arms fell limb next to his body, his eyes widened and then a gentleness colored them that made Alec want to smile. As did the way Magnus’ gaze roamed over him, taking in whatever was visible of his body before he was thrown into another coughing fit. This time his touch was more welcomed and he hoped it was not simply wishful thinking that he felt Magnus’ body relax and lean into his hand. 

He gave the prince a few more moments to gather himself and take in their surroundings before he asked how he felt. The coughing had stopped for now and the color returned to Magnus’ cheeks but his shoulders were slumped, his lips dry and cracked and even his eyes spoke of a certain tiredness. Instead, his concern was only for his friends and even after Alec had reassured him that they were alright, Magnus did not answer his question. 

The rest of the world drifted away then, all worries and anger waiting at home forgotten and when the prince intertwined Alexander’s fingers with his own, he could feel his heartbeat rise in his chest. 

For years, without quite knowing why, Alec had been wondering if they would ever meet again and how; if Magnus would recognize him and greet him as a friend or if time had turned them both against each other, as their people wanted. Now, as they lowered their voices and conversation drifted over things past and present, he realized all of the time in the world could not have prepared him for the soothing spell Magnus’ sheer presence seemed to have on him. Even as he scrambled to get the ring off his finger and return it to its rightful owner, the human prince found a way to calm the drops of panic in his veins. Somehow, during their talk they had drifted closer together, faces only a breath apart, making him forget all else. This close, Alexander could make out the different shades of gold in Magnus’ eyes and the way they softened when he found Alec still wore his ring.  
It proved enough of a distraction that the guilt hit the merman out of nowhere. Before this, he had been busy saving Magnus and making sure he would be alright and now the human prince’s light had been casting everything else away into shadows. It was then that Alexander truly realized how much of this whole ordeal was his own fault for following the ring, for letting Isabelle start a conversation and engaging with the humans too. It hurt to have their bridge of physical contact ripped away, even though he was still trying to untangle the confusing swirl of why it had given him so much comfort. But he could not blame Magnus for being wary of the sea and its creatures, for it was true that quite often ships were dragged to the ocean floor; that merfolk and sea dragons alike loved to play with the limp bodies of humans. It was, of course, officially forbidden, but his mother rarely made an effort to punish those who went against those rules. Unlike interactions with _living _humans.

“When you helped me all those years ago… when you helped me just last night, it will get you in trouble.” Despite his reservations, Magnus sounded almost worried then, eyes wide and his back to the rising sun. The morning light painted the sky in pinks and purples and blues and Alexander could easily say he had never seen a sight more beautiful than the human prince framed by such vibrant colors. All wonders under the sea paled in comparison.

“Can you promise me she will not hurt you?” 

In truth, Alec could not. While his mother had never raised her hand to her children, her words often hurt more than any injury. Biting and sharp, they cut straight to one’s core, making a home there to haunt and mock for years. Still, he nodded, if only to finally clear the worry from Magnus’ gaze. The talk of his mother, however, made it painfully clear that their time was running out. He did not dare think of how Isabelle and Jace would be distracting the Queen or trying to justify their rule-breaking last night. As their oldest brother and future king, he had always felt all responsibility fell on him and him alone, as well as the need to protect them and shoulder the blame. And so being here with Magnus and leaving them to face their mother alone was an act most selfish Alec was not proud of.

“You should get back to your castle, Your Highness. People will be worried,” he said then and tried a smile he hoped was convincing. 

His heart ached at the very thought of being separated again when there was so much still he wanted to know and learn of Magnus and his fellow humans alike. It seemed a fool’s dream to believe they would meet again soon or at all when both of them had duties and families to take care of. The small pocket of time they had stolen now, despite their dire circumstances, would have to soothe all curiosity. And if his heart wanted to extend this moment simply for being in Magnus’ company and not out of a need for answers, then such was Alexander’s secret to keep alone. 

He could not tell if Magnus seemed as reluctant to leave as he felt himself or if the feelings he read in his eyes were a sheer manifestation of hope and imagination. Very real, however, was the brush of a thumb along his shoulder and the shiver it sent down his spine, preserving it to a place of only his life’s fondest memories.

“I hope this time it will not take us fourteen years.” And Magnus sounded as if he was sincere.

“I shall try my best.”

When Magnus rose to his feet, albeit a little less than graceful, he snapped his fingers and at once a glowing portal shimmered into existence. Last night the rain and dark and worry had kept Alexander from truly seeing its beauty but now, leaning closer over the edge of the pool, he could make out the swirl of colors. And within its frame, he could see the black marble towers of Edom’s castle he had so often looked upon from a distance. 

“Farewell then, Your Highness,” he said and expected Magnus to run through with a last shared glance. Instead, the human prince hesitated, pressing his lips together for a moment as if to consider his next words carefully. There was no need though for they filled Alexander with joy and hope despite his knowledge that any visit of his would be forbidden and very unlikely.

Magnus took another breath, sent him one of those warm, soft smiles and stepped through the portal at last. As soon as his feet had left the sand of the beach, the image closed and Alec was left to hope that he had made it through well and safe. 

Above him the sun had fully risen over the ocean now; the sky had bled into more blue than pink and the waves were slowing down to a softer rhythm with the gentle morning breeze. The way back to the castle was quite short but it would have to be enough for all the contemplation and thoughts Alec still had to turn over in his head as well as steeling himself to face his mother. With a sigh and a last look over the island that felt like a manifestation of a dream, the sea prince dove beneath the waves again to make his way back home and away from childish fantasies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll try to get around to chapter five as soon as possible - we'll (finally) meet the sea queen, a witch and another curse is cast that will change everything.
> 
> come talk or yell or roll your eyes @ me on [twitter](twitter.com/wylanfaheys) or [tumblr](eternalalec.tumblr.com)!


	5. interlude part ii: at the cost of a soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an act of desperation and hope, Alec makes a decision that will change his life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only took me two and a half months but to anyone still reading or new, we're back with the longest chapter yet!  
i really tried to cut this but.... i blame it on my love for the lightwood siblings that this got so out of hand.
> 
> as a disclaimer, there are a few scenes that closely resemble similar ones from the disney little mermaid movie. they're obviously inspired by that and aren't my own creation.
> 
> **TRIGGER WARNING**  
Emotional manipulation. Both Maryse and the Sea Witch try to guilt trip and manipulate Alec, with varying success.

That morning the water tasted of broken wood and renewed hope. 

Prince Alexander let himself revel in it, breathing it in to prolong the memories. On the ocean floor, new treasures had attracted all kinds of fishes and merpeople who rummaged through it for anything useful. One or two came up to gift him with something they had found, but he declined politely and was on his way before they could insist. For a while, a sea dragon joined him, a young, deep blue one that flapped their half-grown wings to play. The prince scratched them beneath their chin before they parted ways. 

The Queen’s fury could be felt as soon as Alexander had arrived at the castle through a back entrance. It was a static energy of anger, prickling along his skin and the scales of his tail, like a beckoning call to the throne room he could not resist.

This early in the morning, servants and people of the court alike swam through the crowded halls, greeting politely when the prince passed. It was a crowd he hoped would keep his mother from being too harsh on his siblings to protect the royal family’s public image. For all their acts of bravery, merfolk liked hardly anything more than listening and spreading rumors and the royal family always made for the most interesting ones. Even now, Alexander could feel gazes and whispers following him through the corridors.

The castle’s halls were made of the same white marble as its towers and decorated with shimmering seashells, gemstones, and matte pearls plucked from the rarest oysters. The light reflecting off them danced along skin and tails and shone back from polished scales to sparkle across the walls. Every few paces sat fine statues or paintings a human ship had lost on its way down to the ocean ground, which Alexander’s ancestors had chosen to display along their halls as a sign of their victories. There were paintings of them too, kings and queens of the sea with the most majestic crowns and posing with whales or dragons or giant octopuses to showcase their might. One, in particular, a fellow with his hair in a long dark braid who Alec was named after, always seemed to scowl down on him from his place above the door leading to the throne room. It was no different that day and his cold, unmoving eyes seemed to look on with even more judgment than usual.

The throne room was separated from the rest of the castle by a small vitreous corridor, where starfish and oysters attached themselves, and a curtain of the silkiest kelp, black and dark green and almost see-through in places and interlaced with more pearls. It obscured the view into the room but words were no less audible outside then if one stood directly in front of the throne. Especially if one was shouting. 

“I cannot believe you would disobey me this way! All _three_ of you!” The Queen’s voice rang out into the hallway and Alec could feel people’s eyes moving towards the entrance. “And then you lose your brother while in the company of humans!”

“Well the storm made it quite hard to stay together…,” Isabelle piped up and Alexander winced even before he could hear their mother’s reply.

“Are you blaming this on me then? I have very few rules, Isabelle, but this one is in place for good reason.”

With one last deep breath, Alec steeled himself before moving the curtain aside to swim through.

His mother towered over both his siblings from the dais on which her throne stood though she had not taken a seat in it. Instead, she seemed to be pacing back and forth, her long dark hair like a veil behind her and only held back by the tiara of black diamonds and seashells. Isabelle and Jace both had their backs turned half toward him, shoulders hunched and looking properly chided though his sister, with her chin still raised, seemed about ready to start another argument.

The Queen noticed Alec first and the anger within her dark eyes sent a fresh cold wave of dread through his body. Regardless, the prince did not waver, keeping his eyes trained on his mother, ready to take on the full force of her fury.

“Your Grace.”

Barely had he spoken the word and his siblings turned towards him with eyes wide when Queen Maryse already raised her voice again.

“What do _you_ have to say for yourself?” she demanded and yet, just as the prince had opened his mouth to respond, pressed on: “You _purposefully_ disobeyed me! You endangered yourself, your siblings, our whole world for some curiosity I told you to abandon a long time ago!”

“Mother, please. It was me who urged Alec to seek out the humans,” Isabelle pleaded with eyes wide, swimming in front of her brother as if to shield him; an old habit they both had learned at a young age. He laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her, shaking his head.

“No, it was my fault. I was the one who wanted to go,” he corrected, even if it was half a lie. Without his sister’s urging, he would not have gone to seek out the ship the night before and yet instinct and the gratefulness he felt in his heart made it impossible to let her take the blame.

Their mother’s dark eyes jumped between the two of them while Jace stood by almost forgotten, watching the exchange in silence. It was no new situation, the two of them often trying to take the fall for each other while their brother chose to stay out of any quarrel, a history of insecurities rearing its head every time.

“No curiosity is worth risking your life for.” The Queen spoke slowly, her voice lower now but the words no less dripping with anger. As if she wanted to make sure every word found a place to land and take root in her children’s minds. “You do not seem to realize what kind of danger you put yourselves in. We stay separate from the human world for good reason. One wrong word, one wrong move and you could have started a war! Who knows what upsets these humans!” The words rushed out of her in a flood of anger and worry and left no energy behind to hold her upwards. Instead, the Queen almost deflated back into her throne, a miserable imitation of her usually poised grace Alec had never seen before, as if the pillars holding her up had simply collapsed.

For a moment silence filled the throne room, almost unnaturally so and even the seas seemed to be quiet and listening for more. The prince was not fool enough to believe this was the end of their conversation 

“Where have you been, Alec?” His mother’s voice was softer now but within her eyes a clear shadow had taken root, far worse than loud words and angry stares. “Your siblings returned hours ago from Neptune-knows-where and you take your sweet time coming home?”

“I was simply- “

“Is it true you helped a human and rescued them from drowning?”

Another silence fell, this one charged with tension as the prince was left speechless. It should not have surprised him that she knew, as all the currents and fishes bowed to her will and would tell her anything she needed. A prince carrying a human to safety would surely make for information paid most handsomely. A rumor the people outside would love to spread behind closed doors to feed their feeling of superiority.

“Mother, I had to. He would have died had I not helped him.” Alec was aware such pleads meant little to the Queen but the cold layer of hatred settling within her gaze made him recoil all the same.

“It would have been one less human for us to worry about.”

“You do not even know him! He is-”

“I do not _have_ to know him! They are all the same! Fish-eating cowards who cannot bear the fact that it is us who reign over the seas. They have no sense of honor, no virtues or feelings! He would have been better off-“

“No, Mother, I _care_ for him!”

Only when the words had left his mouth did Alexander realize what he had said. Shock flickered over the features of his family. He heard his brother stifle a gasp and a whisper of murmurs outside the throne room, surely by some merfolk eager for gossip. Still, he could not take his words back. His heart had known them to be true for years and the morning spent with Magnus, as short as it had been, had only fueled those feelings within his soul too. He could not bear to hear his mother say such vile words about Magnus or any of the other humans for that matter, not with the knowledge he now had.

“Whoever you have met, I am sorry they mistreated you but trust me, they are not the way you think.”

For a brief moment, something akin to understanding, an unfamiliar shade of sadness flickered over the Queen’s features, soft and pitiful. Then it was gone so quickly, Alec was not quite sure if he had imagined it or not. Her dark eyes returned to their self-righteous fury, her hands clasped the throne’s marble armrests in a tight grip.

“We live by certain rules here, Alec. And so help me every god and goddess far below, if I ever see you close to those humans or on land again I will have to take different actions.”

Another may have taken it for an empty threat. The prince knew better.

“But Mother,” Jace tried to protest but was cut off when the Queen fixed her stare on him.

“As long as you swim in my oceans you _will_ obey these rules. Have I made myself clear?”

Under the furious intensity of her gaze, they all nodded eventually.

“And you’re not to leave the castle until the next darkmoon. All three of you.”

Jace’s mouth opened as if he wanted to object again, surely to remind the Queen of some rendezvous or mission of little importance, but he snapped his jaw shut after a moment’s contemplation. It would not do well to argue with their mother now or try to bargain with her so shortly after their disobedience.

“Please, Mother, it was not their fault but mine. If anyone has to be punished-,“ Alec tried regardless.

“Jace, Isabelle, leave us.”

The Queen did not move her eyes away from her eldest son even when at first neither of her other children did as they were ordered. Finally, after the silence had stretched too long, it was Jace who tugged at Isabelle’s elbow, dragging their reluctant sister out of the room.

“Mother, I know you are angry but I promise we were never truly in any danger,” the prince said once they were alone and the Queen’s stare felt too heavy to bear. It was another half-lie as some of the sailors had seemed to be just the kind they had been warned about. But at the same time, Magnus and his friends had tried to protect them, had been just as curious. Nowhere in his heart had Alec felt fear because of them, only _for_ them once the storm had started. The terrors he had been told since childhood, the danger his mother had confronted them with right now – wherever that belief stemmed from was either a lie or legend kept alive by fear and spread further through the seas without thought.

Queen Maryse heaved a sigh, the movement building a current that lifted her off the throne with grace as she made to grab her trident where it leaned against the wall. She seemed to have regained her composure, the anger either vanished or exhausted. Instead, she took her time and considered her son for a moment with curious eyes as if she had never seen him before.

“I believe you,” she said finally, swimming closer. “And I believe that whoever that human is must be indeed different to inspire such fierce protectiveness from you.”

“You do?” Alec asked, confused by the sudden gentleness in the Queen’s voice, startling even when she brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead with tender care.

“Of course,” and it brought a smile to her lips. “I know my son and you do not give your affections to just anyone.”

Suddenly Alexander felt the urge to leave and hide the blush his mother’s words helped raise to his face. The Queen hardly ever spoke of her own emotions and most of their lives had told her children they were but mere distractions from their duties. It did not feel right to discuss such things so openly. And his heart’s feelings, whatever their depths were, were his to figure out alone.

“Mother, I-,”

“But you need to forget him.” And as if to transfer the urgency of her words she moved to seize Alec’s upper arms with both her hands. “Humans and any kind of affection we feel towards them is dangerous, Alec. It will put our family, our kingdom in jeopardy.”

With more of the previous rare gentleness, she took his hand and wrapped it around the trident. The light from the sparkling gemstones and shells on the walls reflected in its muted alabaster and even without commanding it, Alexander felt a rush of power just beneath the surface. As a child, he had never dared to touch it, only stared upon it with eyes wide and wondered what it would feel like to wield all the sea’s might himself. And after the time Jace had found himself thrown to the floor, repelled by its magic, none of the siblings had ever tried again.

Now it seemed to call out to Alec, the feeling of it making his head spin as his mother squeezed his hand encouragingly. “One day you will be king and have to make sure everyone under the sea will be safe. You cannot prioritize a human’s life over that, Alec.”

The prince could barely hear her over the sounds the trident whispered to him, the things it promised, the colors it brought to his vision that made the palace shine brighter. It was a distraction, he realized with a start but found he could not care when his attention was so drawn to the metal beneath his fingertips.

The Queen sighed again, granting him a tepid smile to shut down all protest and let go of his hand. It fell limp against his body, the sudden lack of magic as if someone had muted and decolored the world again.

“You will find a merman to give your heart to soon enough. But promise me you will not meet with this human again.”

There was nothing else to do.

“I promise.”

The vow felt hollow within Alexander’s chest.

“I cannot _believe_ you both kept this from me for all these years!” Jace exclaimed later that day, swimming up and down the length of Isabelle’s chamber and throwing his siblings a heated glare every once in a while.

Isabelle, seated at her vanity and trying to pull her hair into an intricate design for some time now, simply rolled her eyes at him in the mirror. 

“Please, would you stop being so dramatic?”

“Easy for you to say.” Though Jace stopped his pacing to point a finger at her. “You knew all this time our brother was having a secret human-romance!”

“It is not a _romance_.” Alec could not recall how often today he had tried to reassure his siblings and felt his cheeks heat up at their raised brows. “We’ve only met once before,” he added though it sounded unconvincing even to his own ears.

Turning away from where he had been looking out into the light spilling through the open waters, seated on Isabelle’s windowsill, he was met with two unimpressed stares.

“Oh,” Jace shrugged. “A secret human-_friendship_ then. That explains perfectly well why you have been staring out of the window yearningly all day.”

“I am not-“

“Must be some friendship to have _you_ moping.” 

Isabelle giggled. “I said the same thing to him last night.”

“I am **not** moping,” Alexander stressed, a little more convincingly this time.

“Well, I am,” Jace exclaimed, throwing his hands up before collapsing dramatically into the pillows on Isabelle’s bed. A swarm of little pink fishes escaped just in time, blowing bubbles at him angrily before swimming over to the princess to help with her hair. “I will miss the nymph’s Falling Tide Festival because of this! They do not invite just anyone and there is this one nymph with the most beautiful silky blue hair-“

“Please, spare us the details of your conquests,” Isabelle cut in before Jace could finish.

In retaliation, he threw a pillow at her which she easily kicked away with her fins. The fishes squealed angrily and one even swam over, no doubt to give him a piece of their mind. As the mature prince he was, Jace simply stuck out his tongue at them.

“Well, not all of us can find true love while doing charity work, sweet sister. And I doubt Charlie will be too happy when he hears he will not be able to visit the princess for a _month_.”

“I am sorry you two have to bear this punishment too.” Both his siblings turned towards Alec as if they had forgotten he was even there during their bickering. He did not mean to spoil the mood any further, especially since it was clear neither of them truly blamed him, but it felt imperative they knew he had never wanted to drag them into this.

Isabelle sighed, rising from her seat and swimming over to him, her gaze as soft as the hand she laid on top of his. “No Alec, I am. I convinced you to look for the ship. I went to get Jace this morning.”

“Because you care; because you were worried. That is not a crime, Iz.”

“Neither is following your heart,” Isabelle said gently.

Her words made him look away, trying to find something else to focus on and fixing on a cornerstone in the wall that needed repairing. It was easier, to be honest with his siblings but his heart’s feelings were a mystery even to himself, how could he ever lay them out openly before anyone else?

The prince was not very good at showing affection to those outside his family. While his siblings were outgoing, he had made hardly any friends in all these years and not cared about it much. With Magnus, he had always wondered if the other prince thought of him too and if those thoughts may be colored in the same shade of curiosity. After this morning, another feeling had made a home within his chest, vibrant and difficult to ignore, waking a part of his heart he had not known existed. Now it was more than just curiosity, it was a wish; yearning for another minute just to bask in Magnus’ light.

“Alec, I have never seen you smile at anyone the way you did at Magnus last night. I have never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at him this morning…” Isabelle’s voice was low and soft, her hand moved to his shoulder, a grounding weight to pull him back from his thoughts.

Jace took a louder approach. “You sang for him! Remember the time I cut my fins in the sandbanks and instead of simply healing me you carried me all the way back home?”

Alec fixed him with a half-hearted glare, though a smile played along the corners of his lips at the memory.

“That was hardly a scratch.” He took a deep breath and nervously twisted the ring around his finger. “But this morning… It was not anything magical. Only a few notes I remembered and…”

“It was _beautiful_,” Isabelle said with a smile that left no room for argument. It was the one that had everyone wrapped around her finger since the day she had been born and would have been reassuring if there was any chance at changing their situation.

“It does not matter now. I will never see him again.”

“And you are sure you can live with that?”

Alec shrugged for what answer could he give?

“I will have to.” Then, after a pause, as if a dam broke that let the words spill freely from his lips without pretense: “I only wish there was a way of knowing if he is alright. He seemed to be this morning, or as well as can be after almost drowning, I suppose. But what if he did not make it through the portal? And do we know what happens to humans hours after they almost drowned? Maybe-”

Jace heaved himself out of the pillows then, swimming over with one hand raised in a gesture meant to mollify his brother’s fears. “I am sure we would have heard by now if the crown prince had died.”

Isabelle promptly elbowed him in the ribs.

“What Jace means to say,” she said with a meaningful glance. “Is that even at a human court they have some of the best healers. Magnus is in very good hands. From what I saw yesterday, he is powerful enough to live through a bit of seawater.”

“I know,” Alec breathed out, trying to convince himself. “I know.”

Silence settled over the siblings. In the background, the swarm of fishes played a game of catch through the curtains of silky kelp around Isabelle’s bed.

The prince felt his heart sink with each passing moment as slow realization set in. Before last night, the memory of the human prince had been something he turned over fondly and although he had wanted to see him again, it had never quite felt like this. Years ago, it had been the curiosity sparked by a young boy’s mind and carried to adulthood in an uncharacteristic swirl of excitement at the unknown. It had been an eagerness to see if all of it had been a dream or if the spark inside Magnus’ eyes and the kindness of his smile had been real.

Now, their second encounter had carved its claws into Alec’s very soul with every word and breath and caress. It had left an aftertaste of sweet possibility on his tongue that not even his mother or his duties could sour and made his heart tumble in his chest at the thought of warm skin and shared smiles and trust, unconditionally given. Now, it desperately demanded _more_, trying to fill a new void with something he could never have again.

After a few more moments in which his siblings exchanged glances Alec pretended not to see, Jace gave a loud, dramatic sigh that disturbed the fishes so much, they swam out the window in a flurry.

“Fine,” he exclaimed as if anyone had asked. “I volunteer to steal mother’s Trident so you can have a look at that human of yours. But if it fries me alive this time please make sure they dress me in my best finery and polish all my scales at my last rites!”

The idea was so ridiculous and yet characteristic of Jace that it wrung a fond chuckle from Alexander’s throat.

“I appreciate the idea, brother, but she guards it with her life. And even if you did get your hands on it, once she finds out we are indeed shark food.”

“So, what if we ask someone else? She cannot be the only one who can wield that type of magic.”

“No, but she is the only one allowed to. Everyone under her rule is forbidden contact to the human world and that includes even spells just looking at them,” Alec sighed. “You _know_ that.”

As if his words held some hidden solution, Isabelle’s eyes widened and she pointed at him excitedly. “Exactly!”

“What?”

“_Everyone under her rule_. But there is one person with that kind of power who does not answer to the Queen,” she said triumphantly, a self-satisfied smile on her lips.

“You cannot mean-“

“The Sea Witch?” Jace hissed under his breath and cast a careful glance over his shoulder for good measure.

Isabelle shrugged. “What? It is a possibility. ‘Exiled’ would mean our mother has no power over her.”

“So instead of simply going behind her back, we will leave the palace while grounded, seek out the Sea Witch _and_ check up on a human. I am sure that will get us into far less trouble than my original plan,” Jace said with an overly dramatic eye roll.

“Mother is holding court all day, she will not even notice that we are gone.”

“What if she finds out? She said and let me quote Her Majesty herself here,” Jace’s tone pitched into a very exaggerated but no less accurate imitation of their mother’s voice: “_I will have to take different actions_.”

“Jace is right. I cannot let you two get into even more trouble because of me.”

Isabelle’s features softened then and she reached out to caress her brother’s cheek, reminiscent of the way the Queen had done earlier.

“And I cannot bear to see you so unhappy. We will be careful, have a story if she does catch us. But no one ever wanders out to the Sea Witch’s grotto and I doubt anyone will today simply to follow us. She will not expect us disrespecting her again so soon.”

Something glinted in the depths of the princess’ eyes then, a hint of excitement and a love for adventure Alexander had never known. The prospect of his mother’s wrath had always made him the reasonable one, staying back from anything forbidden and trying to convince his siblings too. But now he could not ignore the way his heart sped up at the thought of simply seeing if Magnus was alright. One third, final time.

“I hate when your reasoning makes sense!” Jace exclaimed dramatically and flopped back onto the cushions, face-down.

“No, the sensible reasoning would be to stay here and obey her rules,” Alec stated drily.

Again, Isabelle shrugged. “What is the worst she could do if she caught us? Yell again, ground us for another month or two?”

Jace’s face emerged from the pillows, holding one hand up to count on his fingers: “Stripping us off royal status. Exile. Turning us into Plankton. _Shark food_.”

The princess ignored him, digging out a chest from beneath her bed. Within its depth, a sea of diamonds and rubies glimmered in the low light, casting all colors of the rainbow onto the walls.

“You can stay here if you want,” she said and packed a few handfuls of the gemstones into a velvety pouch she had surely stolen from some sunken ship.

It was a fool-proof tactic of getting Jace to tag along, never wanting to be left out, even less so from an adventure that could be a story to brag with later on. As expected he sat up quickly, running his hands through his hair and glaring at his sister.

“Please, you need me there so at least one of us leaves a good impression on her.” He shot his brother a dry look. “I think we all remember how Alec charmed the daughter of Duke Branwell. Which is to say: not at all.”

Sadly, Alec did not have anything to throw at his brother’s head. His sister did the work for him, tugging at one of the blankets so Jace was propelled off the bed. He caught himself before the momentum could drop him to the floor, sending the princess a glare.

She simply grinned back at him. “Well, I am very capable of charming mermaids, a witch should not be any harder.” Her eyes wandered to their older brother, still perched on the windowsill and she bit her lip to hide her smile. “But you are right, he _is_ a lost cause.”

Alexander rolled his eyes but did not rise to the bait his siblings were throwing at him. He knew they did it to distract him from his thoughts and the reckless plan they had made up in a matter of minutes. Usually, it fell to him to hold them back from any adventures or be the one to stay behind. Not this time.

Twisting the ring around his finger once more, he took a deep breath and gave in.

“So how do we find Lilith?”

The witch’s grotto was an ugly thing of dark stone in the form of a sea dragon’s skeleton. Legend said she had slain the creature herself with blood magic and carved her home out of their body and bones. Their teeth protruded like dark towers from their muzzle and their ribs formed a tunnel, leading deeper into the body.

“You do not think it is real, do you?” whispered Isabelle even though there was not a soul around to hear them. Even the seas lay unnaturally still. More blood magic perhaps or simply all living things avoiding this part of the ocean.

“All the legends are true.” It earned Jace two elbows to the ribs. He tried to hide how he rubbed his sides with a grimace. But his words had broken the tension and shaken the siblings out of their rigor. Staying closely together, they made their way further towards the beast’s skull.

In front of it sat a garden of the strangest kelp any of them had ever seen. Brown and crumbled they reached up towards them as they swam past and it was as if a whimpering blew over the ground, a sad helpless sound carried by the currents. If any of them noticed they did not say it but slowly the carefree, adventurous feelings were drained from their features.

As they swam through the gaping mouth of the sea dragon, Alexander could feel his heart racing. Whatever had possessed him to let his siblings convince him of their plan was still at the forefront of his mind; the warm feeling Magnus’ smile had ignited in his chest and the worry he carried to know if the human prince was safe. Yet he could not help but wonder if maybe they not only risked their mother’s wrath but the witch’s too.

Hardly any light filtered into the dragon's throat but a soft, blue glow seemed to radiate from their belly. Above the silence, a voice floated towards them in a rushed murmur. Isabelle’s hand reached out to grip onto Alec’s forearm. 

“We can always turn back if you want,” he whispered just as they rounded a corner and swam into what was surely the true home of the witch: a hall where shelves lined the walls with vials and pots of all kinds. In the middle of it all, seated on a crater, stood some sort of cauldron and pale blue foam swelled from its depths.

Before either Isabelle or Jace could reply, another voice spoke up, low and vibrating along the grotto’s walls.

“Well, well, well what do we have here? Maryse’s little offspring.”

The Sea Witch drifted out of the shadows as if she was part of them, all darkness and pale skin. Long hair as black as Kraken ink fell smoothly down her back and chest, effortlessly fading into the slick, black tail that was her lower body. But where a merfolk’s tail was shaped like fish’s fins and of different colors, the Sea Witch’s had thirteen shiny tentacles, all with a mind of their own. In one, at the moment, she balanced a scroll of some sort, in another a glass vial, its contents sloshing in a vibrant blue. Yet another cradled an unusually large eel and petted him across its ugly, greasy head.

“You know our mother?” Isabelle asked warily, her hand gripping Alec’s forearm tighter.

“Sweetheart”, the witch said with a smile that bared rows of perfect white teeth and when her bright yellow eyes fixed on them all three siblings shuddered. “I have over four hundred years to my name. What a terrible sea creature I would be to not know our _beloved_ Queen.”

“And yet you are banished into exile,” Jace muttered under his breath but Lilith seemed to hear him nonetheless.

“Well, your mother and I have always disagreed on most things.” She shrugged.

It was news to them all that their mother knew the witch personally and had been the one to send her into exile but there was no time to dwell on it.

Afraid Lilith would hex them away if they kept wasting her time, Alec spoke up: “Which is why we have come to you.” His voice was steadier than he expected and his chin raised almost daringly.

“Oh?" 

“I need you to tell me if- if someone on land is alright,” he said and then to make sure the witch would know how serious he was: “I can repay you with whatever you want, we brought jewels and-“

Lilith waved his statement away with long, deep red nails, swimming closer. “Now, now, child, I have no need for those. And besides, for our dear princeling, such an easy task is free of charge.”

There was a glint within her unnatural eyes that seemed to whisper to the prince to swim, _swim far away and do it quickly_, urging him to leave while he still could. He ignored it, suppressing the shudder it sent up his spine and instead listened to the sudden rapid beating of his heart. “So, you can do it? You can tell me if he is alright?”

“I can do you one better. I can show you.” She took him by the elbow, steering him deeper into the grotto despite the cut-off protests of his siblings. “Who is it you seek?”

“Prince Magnus of Edom.”

“Oh, dear,” the Sea Witch sighed.

Before Alexander could ask why her voice had suddenly taken such a sad tone, she flicked her hand in a careless motion and right before the prince’s eyes something close to the portal he had seen just this morning sprang to life.

Within a shimmering, golden frame the early evening sunset left pinks and reds on dark castle walls. Warm light filtered through almost sheer curtains, leading to a chamber of some sort in which blurry shapes moved around. In front of it, against the railing of a balcony and with forearms braced over its black marble top, stood Prince Magnus.

Alexander let out a soft gasp at the sight of him, for all he knew well and unhurt and in all his regal glory. The half-torn clothes he had worn this morning were exchanged for lavish silks of red and black thread, golden necklaces falling down his chest and a circlet enriched with rubies and amethysts around his forehead. It was hard to look away, to decide where to look first after Alec had made sure there was no injury on Magnus’ body. When he tried to read the human’s features, hoping to see happiness and joy, he was met with a faraway, pensive look instead and a mouth turned into a sad smile. It made him no less beautiful but the swirl of joy in Alec’s stomach tumbled as if caught within stormy waters, making him want to reach out and smooth away the lines of _something_ between Magnus’ brows.

“He does not look happy,” he choked out.

“Ah, yes, poor child.” The Sea Witch had circled the image too, looking over Alec’s shoulder at the flickers of her spell where Magnus had started to turn towards the chamber behind him.

Alexander backed away slightly, a cold new shiver racing up his spine at her proximity but hardly could it compare to the dread settling within his heart.

“What do you mean? Is he hurt?”

“Oh, no. I believe he is alright for now.”

“For now?” His voice broke on the words.

“You have no idea, do you? The sweet prince was cursed at birth. He will die within a few year's time.” She had the decency to look almost sad at the statement. Alec felt each word like a blow to his chest, knocking the breath out of him.

“No…,” The prince shook his head but when he turned back towards the flickering image it had fulminated into nothingness. Magnus had seemed fine this morning and just now, except for the toll his almost-drowning had surely taken on his body. His magic had been strong though and the smile he had worn when looking at Alec so genuine, it seemed unfathomable there could ever be a world he was not alive in.

“Yes, it is quite tragic really. But you know those humans and their pesky little quarrels.” The Sea Witch shrugged, inspecting her nails as if she had not just left Alexander feeling like his world had upended on its axis.

“Is there no way to reverse the curse?” he asked, almost reaching out to stop her as Lilith drifted towards the other end of the grotto again. His words did the act for him, halting her as she considered them for a moment. Slowly her bright yellow eyes found him again, her dark brows raised nearly to her hairline in surprise.

“Well, there… no, but that would be _ridiculous_ to believe.”

“Tell me,” the prince demanded not too kindly and with all the authority he could muster.

“Rumor has it sweet Magnus’ curse can only be broken by his one true love. If he can find them before his time is up.” She paused there for dramatic effect, her gaze flickering over the three siblings. “What a cruel fate it would be indeed to have his true love be of an entirely different world, hm?”

The prince’s breath caught in his throat, a choked sound echoing off the dark walls.

“You cannot mean to say that _Alec_ is a human prince’s true love.”

Alexander had almost forgotten his siblings were there with him, his heart’s beat so loud in his ears he could not bother turning towards them. He did not even find the time nor energy to roll his eyes at his brother’s words as the possibility Lilith laid out before him rushed through his veins. 

The power of true love was a thing of legends and stories, whispered to children, their eyes wide with awe. He remembered sitting with his siblings, wrapped in the smoothest blankets and listening to their mother’s voice, painting pictures of loves so great they defied even death. There had been a time, maybe, when he had believed something like this was waiting for him too. Yet with age, all of them had realized love was fleeting and changed like the seasons and after all, nothing could outlast death.

Truly, it _was_ ridiculous to believe a children’s tale could break a powerful curse or that he could ever be the true love of someone as beautiful and fascinating as Magnus. Ridiculous too how his heart seemed to sing at the mere thought and stumbled in his chest, a soft yearning sound.

“Why not? Fate works in mysterious ways. And your brother seems to care a great deal about that human already. Or why else did you come to me?”

The witch’s eel made a strange sound, an ugly giggle of sorts and swam a lazy circle around Isabelle and Jace. They swatted at it but it only reciprocated by flapping its tail at their sides and showing its yellow teeth.

“I consider myself a woman with a talent for understanding people,” Lilith continued, swimming closer again and reaching out to place a finger under Alec’s chin, tilting it up. He shrugged out of her grasp with furrowed brows but held her gaze nonetheless. “And it seems to me you did not risk the Queen’s wrath for a simple whimsy or a promise of adventure. Only someone who cared too much would dare to defy her so by coming to me. And after all,” she smiled, sharp like a predator with eyes glowing. “what is true love if not a mean to defy fate herself?”

Alexander swallowed thickly and silence settled over the grotto. Even his siblings did not speak up; whether that was because they were trying to wrap their minds around it all or because they did not know what to say, he could not tell and did not dare turn around. Rooted in place, he eyed the shelves and its contents, unseeingly as his mind raced. Had he not felt the same this morning, in Magnus’ presence, as if some twine of fate had bound him to the human prince? And if there was a way to save Magnus’ life he had to at least try for otherwise his whole life would be spent wondering with guilt gnawing at his heart.

Traitorously it beat a frantic _yes, yes, yes_ within his chest.

“How… how could I ever break the curse?” he asked finally and lifted his eyes to the witch once more.

The smile on her deep red lips spread further.

“Well, it would be quite hard if you are down here while he is up there. But,” she tapped her own chin in thought. “If I turn you into a human…”

Jace and Isabelle’s sounds of protest were drowned out by Alec’s surprised gasp. “You can do that?”

“That is what I do, little prince. Helping unfortunate souls in need, like yourself.” She paused there for a second, inclining her head and waving her hand around in an almost dismissive gesture. “For a small price, of course.”

The admission raised the hair on Alexander’s arms with dread but he found himself asking nonetheless. “What is it?”

Lilith took him by the shoulders, regardless of his earlier reluctance to her touch, and steered him closer to the still bubbling cauldron.

“The potion I can brew you will turn you into a human for one whole month. Just one, as I will bind it to the darkmoon above. Now in that time, you _must_ convince sweet Magnus of your love and he must seal his own vow of love with a kiss.” She held up a finger then before Alec could do so much as breathe. “Not just _any_ kiss, no. Only true love’s kiss is powerful enough. If he does so before the sun sets one month from now, you will stay a human for the rest of your days and his curse will be broken.”

“And if he does not?” Alec’s voice was rough as the stony cliffs far out on the sea but steady, which he was glad for.

“Then you turn back into a merman and your soul belongs to me.”

“No, Alec-!” His siblings exclaimed in one voice, cut off by something he did not dare to check out of fear of taking his eyes off the witch.

“That does not seem like a fair deal to me.”

Lilith startled in surprise, almost hurt at his words and shook her head. “Oh? So, you do not think you are his true love after all? If you are already doubting you could break the curse, it would be cruel to lead him on. Well, then. I fear poor Prince Magnus will have to wait for someone who is truly _willing_ to risk something for him.”

_That is not true_, Alec wanted to say but his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He had never liked taking risks or trying new adventures like his siblings and this one seemed like a fair bit of both. Who was to say Magnus’ curse could reach as far as the sea and pick him as the one to break it? Or that true love could even break the curse?

If there was, however, the smallest chance, if truly he could be the one to help save Magnus’ life and would decide not to do it out of fear for himself? Alexander considered himself many things but never a coward.

“Listen, dearie.” The witch’s yellow eyes seemed almost kind in the dim blue light. She laid one cold hand on the prince’s shoulder again as if meaning to comfort him. “I always ask for a sort of security when performing spells. It is simply good business and I have already given you more than most for free. It is a spell that requires some of the rarest ingredients and a certain amount of power. It will be hard to find a better deal by anyone under the sea as _discreet_ as I am.”

"And what do you get out of it?" Isabelle piped up from behind them, her voice laced with anger.

The Sea Witch did not bother turning towards her. "Well, once Magnus puts a crown and a ring on your brother, I only ask that he remembers who helped him if I ever come knocking for a favor of my own."

Alec nodded, swallowed, took a deep breath.

“Can you swear to me you are telling the truth?”

“Of course, of course.” She grinned. “You truly are Maryse’s son.”

Alec was not sure if she meant it as an insult or compliment.

“I swear,” the Sea Witch said, raising one pale hand to lay over her heart. The red of her nails looked like drops of blood on her skin. “That what I have told you to be the truth as I know it. Or else I shall die on this very spot.”

A vow like this had certain power beneath the ocean, calling upon old magic the nymphs had woven into the waters to tell truth from lie. Alec had never witnessed one before but as a murmur carried through the grotto like an old spell, clinging to the witch’s skin for a moment, it was clear that this too was a true legend.

The witch smiled triumphantly when nothing happened, raising one brow in victory before lowering her hand and turning towards the cauldron.

“If I stay human…”, Alec’s voice broke on the word, yet he pressed on. “I could never be with my family again.”

“Oh, true.” Lilith cocked her head as if this had not occurred to her before. “But you will have your darling prince, no? Is true love not all anyone ever desires? And the prince is sure to meet an early demise if you do not make this sacrifice. Life is full of hard choices. Besides,” she waved his concerns aside. “Edom is surrounded by water. There will be plenty of opportunities for all of you to visit.”

Alec nodded slowly in a mixture of agreement and contemplation. With a bright smile, the witch clapped her hands together and at once all sorts of things came flying towards the cauldron. There were vials with shining liquids, little fishes and squids and flowers in jars, all slamming into the copper and bathing the grotto in a bright yellow light Alexander had to shield his eyes from. When he dared another glance at the witch she was running her fingertips over the cauldron’s edge, murmuring something under her breath, a song in a language he did not recognize.

“Alec,” came the soft yet urgent call of Isabelle but just as the prince was about to turn around, Lilith stopped her whispering.

“Just one more thing…,” she said, holding up a finger and swimming closer. “This spell needs something… _personal_, some special ingredient that I cannot provide.”

“Like what?” Alexander asked warily.

“Mh, anything that represents your heart.” She looked him up and down, contemplating. Then, slowly, the red of her mouth spread into a self-satisfied smile. “Oh, I know just the thing: your words of love.”

“What?”

“There is nothing more potent than a merfolk’s love. As I understand, you only give away your heart once, eh? 

She did not wait for his answer but steered him closer to the cauldron. Its contents had paled in brightness but the color was richer now, a warm gold that reminded Alec of sun on skin and the glow of bright eyes. Another glass came flying from the shelves, within it an iridescent powder that exploded with loud cracklings. All sorts of colors seemed to illuminate the grotto at once then, dazzling in their beauty.

“Now, you will whisper every love confession that comes to mind into this vial and so will give the spell the strength it needs.”

Alec had not even realized the other empty vial the witch held within one of her tentacles. She offered it to him now and then grabbed his hand to drop it into his open palm when he did not move.

The prince swallowed, his mind racing and tumbling and unable to focus.

“But that would mean I would not be able to tell Magnus-“

Lilith made a clicking sound with her tongue and again, the eel’s giggle echoed within the hall.

“Pha, humans hate long speeches and anything too emotional. It is boring and too easy to fake.” She drew a lazy circle with one long, bloodred fingernail that formed a golden frame, shimmering and captivating. “On land, believe me, it is all about action and body language. And I am sure you have plenty of both.”

Alexander’s own face stared back at him then, rose-cheeked and bright-eyed and lifting another’s hand to his lips to press a kiss to its knuckles. He could almost taste his mirrored self’s joy on the roof of his mouth. The image went as quickly as it had come but not before the prince caught a last glance of himself, arm slung around shoulders clad in a familiar attire of red and black and his head thrown back in a full-bodied laugh. Again, the image fulminated into nothingness and again it left a hollow feeling within his chest, breaking down whatever reservations he may have had before. 

Determined suddenly and driven by a yearning for this vision to be reality, he raised the empty vial to his lips, although unsure of what to say. The confessions the witch spoke of were not ones he had ever used before or could imagine himself saying to Magnus now. But slowly, surely, it was as if the vial itself tore the words from his mouth.

_I am sorry. I want to help. Please, let me help. I have never felt this way before but my heart has known you long before I did. You amaze me and enchant me and my soul, I think, yearns for you. I do not know the right words but I will try. Magnus, I promise I will. Please let me help._

In the end, they drifted off into a tune, new and yet familiar, wrapping around his very core with a yearning tug the same way it had that very morning. And when he was done he saw the vial had filled with a small string, burning a deep intense blue and his song seemed to echo from within it.

“Oh, very nice,” the witch said and clapped excitedly. Alec startled, having forgotten momentarily where he was.

Lilith paid him little attention, grabbing the vial from him and unceremoniously throwing it into the cauldron. It burst in a crackling flash of light and the potion seemed to hum in the melody of Alec’s song. Then the witch called upon the coldest north wind and the softest rain, the warmth of the sun and the endurance of the red desert sand of Dudael in snake-like whispers. The cauldron sparked white then blue then gold and deep red and reached out with scrawny, crooked arms to rip right through Alexander’s soul.

The pain was searing hot and cold as ice all at once, wringing a pained gasp from the prince’s throat. It was lost among the witch’s murmurs, the hissing of the cauldron in a language more demonic than living creature. Its power seemed to rush through Alec’s very core, tearing its way through his body and tearing him apart too. When the pain became too much, when he had collapsed to the ground without noticing, there was only a promise settling itself within his heart, warming and soothing amidst agony.

Distantly, he could hear yelling, his name being called but his throat ached too much to answer. Even without looking, for his eyes were screwed shut, he knew he was bleeding. The hooks the curse had planted in him tore and pulled, scratching away at him until suddenly, finally, his tail separated with a hissing sound ringing in his ears. Water filled his mouth and he flapped his arms and what he presumed to be his new legs wildly as his chest ached with an unfamiliar feeling.

The witch laughed delightedly and then suddenly something swept him up, carrying his weight and he rose, fast and faster still. Until finally he breached the ocean’s surface and without much thought, opened his mouth to breathe in the fresh evening air. It was strange, the way his lungs ached and he could not seem to get enough. His body hurt, his new legs hot with pain…

Alexander’s eyes flew open then. He barely noticed the pretty sunset along the horizon or the worried gazes of his siblings at his side. Beneath the water’s surface, instead of a tail, two legs moved through the darkness, caked with blood.

“By Neptune’s stinking tail!” Jace exclaimed, gazing down where the pair of legs dangled in the water and then up at his brother’s face, his eyes wide with shock.

“Oh,” Alec said, his voice rough from screaming. “It worked.”

Without a reply, his siblings steered him into shallower waters, where the waves crashed onto the beach. In the near distance, the black towers of Edom’s castle loomed over them.

As the prince washed away the blood on his legs in wonder, he found the skin there to be softer than the rest of his body, still fresh from creation and unharmed. Mesmerized he lifted one of his feet out of the water and was surprised both by how easy his new muscles listened to his commands and the way he could wiggle his toes back and forth effortlessly.

“How do they feel?” Jace asked cautiously and reached out to poke the ball of his foot with his finger.

Alec jerked back when it sent a tickling shiver up his leg and only narrowly avoided kicking his brother in the face. “I guess that answers your question.”

Isabelle looked on quietly with her arms crossed over her chest, her brows furrowed and eyes jumping between her brother’s face and his newly discovered feet.

“I don’t think you thought this through,” she finally said and Alec could not remember her ever sounding so worried.

It was understandable of course. His decision had been made within minutes and the witch’s words and promises had perhaps pushed him in a certain direction. His head was spinning with the pain slowly ebbing away, the new feeling of legs and how they were so much less sensitive to the water and currents around them. Yet he could find no regret in his heart.

“You are right,” he agreed with a nod. “But you are the one always telling me I overthink things. For once I followed what my heart told me. And I would regret it for the rest of my days if I had not and possibly doomed Magnus to his fate…”

He reached out for her hand, squeezing it and searching her gaze for some kind of understanding. After a moment, the princess threw herself into his arms and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Jace joined in on his other side until they were a tangle of limbs, clinging to each other. If merfolk could cry, the prince thought they might have.

After a while, they finally separated and Alec could see resolve taking over his siblings’ features. Isabelle nodded a few times to herself, then straightened her back like she always did before bracing for the emotional impact of something.

“It would be hypocritical of us to condemn you now when we encouraged you to follow your heart before.”

“Go and get your prince! Change history!” Jace exclaimed a bit too loudly but his enthusiasm lacked some of its usual cheerfulness. Alec could not blame him for caring or being worried, especially when he knew those feelings had not always come easy to his brother.

As the evening air seemed to whisper over the waters and through the nearby trees and brought with it a chill to send shivers down spines, Alexander became very aware of how naked he was. An unknown concept for merfolk but he knew humans were very much concerned with nudity.

He cleared his throat and looked down at his bare legs. “I may need some clothes first or the only history I would be changing is being known as Alec the Naked.”

It dissolved the tension in the air, the three of them sharing in easy laughter, more at the fact Alec had made a joke at all than at the words themselves. When the melody of their chuckles faded into the night, Isabelle clapped her hands once then placed them palm down on the water’s surface. She began humming a complicated tune just underneath her breath and the sea whispered back, reaching its currents out towards Alec with hissing sounds. This was a different sort of magic than the witch’s; it came easy and naturally and embraced the three of them like an old friend.

Alexander stood and wobbled on his legs, scrunched his toes in the wet sand and then watched in awe as silks soft as rain wrapped themselves around him. Soon, his body was covered in pieces of midnight blue fabric, laced with a silver twine that sparked under the evening lights.

“Thank you,” he said once Isabelle had stopped her spell and looked pleased with her creation.

“Are you sure this is what they would consider fashionable?” Jace asked but before anyone could answer or argue there was a barely audible thud from somewhere on the beach behind them.

When they turned, eyes wide and hearts racing, prepared for a fight, Alexander found two not quite familiar faces staring back at him from behind a rock. He recognized them as two of the women who had been on board the ship last night. They blinked owlishly at him, then at his siblings before the redhead dragged her companion along to approach them. Both of them were dressed in new, finer silks of red and black with gold details that almost made it look like some type of armor was woven into their attire. Maybe that was why their steps carried such confidence as they got closer, even as their eyes seemed less sure of the situation.

“So, it is you!” the girl with hair the color of the rich harvest moon exclaimed excitedly, her green eyes wide with awe.

The other woman seemed less enthusiastic as they came closer. Within the dark depths of her gaze, Alexander found wariness mingled with a certain curiosity he could recall from the night before.

“Good evening,” he said and bowed less graceful than he had planned. If the two of them noticed they did not comment.

“And you have legs…,” the other woman mused, her tone carrying a note of accusation. She was still holding onto her companion’s hand and not quite so subtly had moved closer so she was shielding the other a little with her shoulder.

Alexander looked down his own body as if he had forgotten what he was standing on.

“It is… quite a long story.” And not one he felt they needed to know.

“Alec, is it?” the redhead asked, inclining her head so a cascade of loose curls fell over her shoulder. Her companion’s eyes drifted towards the sea where his siblings’ faces were mostly hidden by the water as if they could somehow conceal their presence. “I am Clary and this is Maia.”

That seemed to get Maia’s attention and when her eyes landed back on him, her lips curved into the barest hint of a smile. “Are you here for Magnus’ birthday?”

Alexander opened and closed his mouth, unsure what to say, unaware until this moment what day he had picked to rise from the seas.

Before he could find the right words, his sister spoke up for him instead: “Yes, Alec is here to visit the prince and give his regards.”

At the sound of her voice, the two humans turned towards Isabelle, who had half emerged from the sea now. Alec was almost sure he could see color rise to the pale skin of Clary’s cheeks at his sister’s sight. Maia too seemed some sort of captivated but he could not tell if it was because of Isabelle’s beauty or the fact that she was a mermaid and he did not dare ask.

It was Maia who found her voice first, shaking her head slightly so the last rays of sunset sparkled off the tight black curls framing her head like a halo. Again, she eyed him up and down, stopped shortly on his still naked feet and then nodded towards the castle.

“We better not keep the prince waiting then.”

Clary smiled encouragingly. “He will be so happy to see you.”

Alexander’s heart stumbled in his chest at her reassurance, glad to know Magnus’ friends thought so even if they were wary of him. He could not fault them for that and was grateful they seemed to put their own concerns aside for now. It could only mean they believed Magnus truly _wanted_ to see him.

When he looked back towards the sea, his siblings had swum closer, their eyes filled with a sorrow that leaped over into his own heart. He swallowed down the unfamiliar tightness in his throat and reached out, stroking their cheeks as he had done so often.

“Do not worry for me,” he said quietly, and then: “Goodbye.”

Isabelle’s fingers trembled when she gripped his hand and he raised it to his lips. “We will see you soon.”

Jace nodded, more forcefully than necessary, putting his arm around their sister’s shoulder. “Be safe, brother.”

It took a few more moments for them to part, ignoring the curious gazes of the women on the beach and if Alec had ever felt heartbreak before, it paled in comparison to the sight of watching his siblings dive beneath the evening waves with one last glance.

He stood for another moment, water up to his knees and his new legs wobbly with unfamiliar weight. For a second, he almost felt something like regret but when Maia spoke up behind him, he had already shaken it off again and squared his shoulders in determination.

“We should head back. The celebrations must have started by now.”

Alexander followed them up the beach, keeping close and ignoring their sidelong glances, both wary and curious. Above them, a thousand lights had been lit in the dark towers and distantly, music and laughter could be heard. With renewed determination, the flutter of his heart returned too, quick and unsteady like a fish caught in a net.

Fate was waiting in that castle and so was Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that concludes act 1!  
next up, whenever that is: another reunion, a confession and newfound hope!
> 
> come talk or yell or roll your eyes @ me on [twitter](twitter.com/wylanfaheys) or [tumblr](eternalalec.tumblr.com)!


	6. on the edge of greatness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the night of his birthday, Magnus gets a surprise visit and contemplates the risks of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an update? more likely than you think apparently.
> 
> hello to the start of act ii or as i have come to call it: lets romance!  
i wanted this to continue a bit longer but i didn't want to post something over 10k again so, we're rearranging and splitting which means this story is now up to 11 chapters instead of 10. but halfway there, yay!
> 
> **Trigger Warning**  
People drink alcohol. Mentions and some dark jokes about Magnus' death.

No birthday had ever felt so hollow.

After the portal had spit him out right into the courtyard of the castle, where people had already gathered to search for him, Magnus had been enveloped in countless conversations. First about where he had been and how he survived (all of which required a few charming lies and smiles), then wishing him a wonderful day with pitying eyes. His father had scolded him for being so careless, then laid a hand on the soaked material of his shoulder and told him that twenty-five would be his best year yet. He had wiped his hand not-so-discreetly when he had turned to go back to his books and papers. His mother, frantic with worry, had grasped his face between her hands and urged him to be more careful, then kissed his brow. He did not have the heart to ask either of them what for.

Ever since he had discovered the intention of the curse placed upon him, birthdays had been nothing but a reminder of his days slowly passing by until the inevitable end. And now, with the memories of Alexander still fresh on his mind, coming back to a castle buzzing with preparations for a feast in his honor only made the prince want to turn around and run. Back to that little island or someplace else simply to stare out at the waves and hum the tune that had been on his mind ever since he had woken up.

His bones ached and his head throbbed even as a healer looked him over and poured soothing blue magic into his body. Where usually he would enjoy the calm it brought him, the way it would clear his thoughts and whisk away all worries, he now dismissed the servant with a forced smile and more irritated than he had been upon his arrival.

Which was the mood his friends found him in when they cornered him in his rooms. By then Magnus had washed the sea salt of his skin, changed into fresh clothes, newly made ones his mother had commissioned only for this occasion and had put on the expected crown, breathtaking in its glory. It felt like a dead weight.

His friends burst through the door without knocking, ignoring the protests of the servants stationed outside when Catarina sent them a dry look and told them to bring wine and sugared grapes and plums. She had a way of stating things with such authority, they immediately bowed and obeyed without another word.

“So, you _are_ alive,” Ragnor said with arms crossed and his grey eyes full of worried anger.

Magnus ignored him, waved his concerns away and would have told them there had been no cause for fear yet before he could open his mouth Dot had crossed the room and thrown her arms around him.

“We were so worried when you did not come through after us.” She squeezed him tightly, warm and familiar and he had no choice but to let himself sink into her embrace and hug her back. Soon Catarina and Maia and Simon joined in and Raphael laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Meliorn and Clary sat down on the divan to fill the glasses with the ordered wine, one of which Ragnor took immediately and drowned with quick gulps.

“You could have at least sent a fire message,” he said once they had all detangled themselves and moved over to the table for drinks and snacks.

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Maybe I would have if I had the chance. I came back as soon as I could.” It was, after all, not too far from the truth.

“Ragnor just means that he was worried. We all were,” Meliorn tried to explain. They shrugged, unbothered by the icy look Ragnor threw their way and picked at the grapes laid out in front of them.

“I was not!”

“Oh, you were,” Dot giggled from her place in Catarina’s lap. “You should have seen him pacing. He was ready to run right back through the portal to get you if it had not disappeared so suddenly.”

“We _all_ were,” Maia corrected, more serious than the rest of them, then nudged Magnus with her elbow. “Glad to have you back, Your Highness.”

Magnus felt the tension in his shoulders bleed away for the first time since he had stepped back into the castle. The room smelled of the warmly scented candles someone had lit all around and the sourness of the red wine in their cups. But beyond that, it was the familiarity of it all, the bickering and joking and the hand Ragnor placed on his neck when he passed, in silent understanding. Like this, as so often, it was easy to forget there was a sword dangling over Magnus’s head and it would only take a few more years before it made its deadly strike.

“So, what happened?” Raphael asked as he sat down on the armrest next to Meliorn, his arm brushing their shoulder in a not-quite accidental manner. “After you saved us so heroically and then disappeared?”

_Nothing_, was poised on Magnus’s tongue, ready to spill out and tell another lie. But as he looked at the faces around him, all varying degrees of curious and worried still, he could not bear to lie to them too. These were the people he trusted most, some of whom had known him for years. It was the only secret he had ever kept from them, and then it had been a child’s memory of a magical night. Now, inexplicably, it was something more.

So he told them, quietly and sipping on wine, of how Alexander had saved his mother many years ago and then him just last night. How he had made sure he was alright and stayed with him until he had woken up. How he still wore the ring Magnus had given him when they were children. He did not, however, say how pretty the merman had looked in the morning light.

Silence followed his story as his friends looked at him, then at each other, some with knowing smiles half-hidden behind their cups, some with eyes even more worried now.

“You must swear this will not leave this room,” Magnus said, looking at each of them imploringly. “If word got out about the lake’s power…”

Catarina nodded. “It would cause everyone who knows even a bit of magic to seek out the spell and have their truest wish granted. That may lead to more bad than good.”

“I could use that one,” Simon pouted, then raised his hands when all eyes turned on him. “_Hypothetically_, of course.”

“And the storm last night?” Meliorn asked. “I have never seen that type of magic before, not even in the time I spent at the nymphs’ Summer Court.”

“Alexander said it was the Sea Queen’s doing.” Magnus scoffed. “Apparently, she does not like her people interacting with us.”

“Who would have thought,” Raphael grumbled.

Clary leaned forward in her seat. “You must mean quite a lot to him if he risked her wrath to help you. Not once but twice.”

Suddenly the room felt too hot and the expectant faces of his friends too much that even the wine could not chase away Magnus’ reluctance to agree. He could see most of them tried to hide their curiosity, knowing him too well and how these things meant something different to him than to anyone else, how scared he was to hope. But Clary, new to their group and not fully aware of how his curse – and his heart – worked quite yet, seemed unable to conceal her excitement as she reached for his hand.

Quickly, Magnus shook his head, shutting off anything else she may have wanted to add that would only cause his mind to get lost in this morning’s memory of the sunlight glinting on the water and Alexander’s smile, gentle and so very endearing.

“I doubt he would risk it a third time.” He shrugged, avoided their eyes and reached for the flagon of wine.

“Magnus-,” Maia tried but he rose before she could continue, his cup filled anew and suddenly restless, eager to get out of the room and breathe some fresh air. No one said anything to him when he opened the doors to the balcony and stepped outside. Still, he could hear muffled murmurs even through the curtains obscuring him from view.

The sun had begun to set on the horizon, the different shades of red and gold glinting off the sea that lay calm and smooth as a mirror. The Sea Queen’s fury had only lasted so long but still, Magnus wished there was a way to tell if Alexander was alright, if he had not been punished for going against his sovereign’s orders. He had offered an invitation to visit but the truth, he realized leaning against the balcony’s balustrade, was that it had taken them nearly fourteen years to meet again. With his luck and the way fate seemed to steer him, they would never see each other again.

The thought hurt more than he wanted to admit – even to himself out in the quiet of the balcony without another soul around to witness it. It should have been enough to see Alexander again, to spend an hour in his presence and confirm he had never been just a dream but a living, breathing being. Instead, Magnus longed for a little more time, another hour perhaps or two just to ask all the questions he still had, to listen, to make the merman laugh again or share a comfortable silence on a beach; watch the waves crash or the sun set and be free of all other worries. It was a foolish dream, one he should have abandoned years ago. He had buried it instead, beneath duties and worries that were more important to a prince than a childhood fantasy. Now everything else faded into the background.

Somewhere birds were chirping their evening song; inside his chambers his friends had started to discuss something new, judging by the volume of their voices and laughter. Within the castle’s ballroom, servants were surely making last adjustments for tonight’s grand celebration in his honor. None of it seemed to matter, suddenly.

The sound of shuffling, curtains drawn back and soft steps, shook Magnus out of his thoughts. When he turned, he found Catarina hovering in the door to the balcony, backlit by the warm lights of the room, wine glass in hand.

“May I?” she asked with a tentative smile but stepped closer before Magnus could refuse her. Not that he wanted to. If someone would be able to take his mind off things, it would be her.

“Clary and Maia decided to go for an evening stroll on the beach. The rest of them went to get ready, so it is just the two of us now.”

There was a warm familiarity in the way Catarina leaned onto the railing next to him, their shoulders brushing in silent support. He knew there was something she wanted to say and with time, she most likely would. They had a tendency to voice the things the other did not want but often needed to hear regardless. Just as he had finally shaken some sense into her a few years ago about how in love she was with Dot and to take that chance. It had paid off at the end when their year-long courtship had ended in a beautiful wedding ceremony on the edge of the forest surrounding the Loss’ estate.

He did not think he was ready for a conversation drifting into similar territory now, simply based on a few minutes his friends had witnessed.

“How are you?” he asked before she could decide to say whatever it was she wanted to. “I am sorry I did not ask before. That whole ordeal last night must have been terrifying for you as well.”

“Well, what is a party without a bit of adventure.” She winked at him and clinked their glasses together. They both took a sip, watching the sunset in silence for another few moments before Catarina spoke up again: “But I was worried about you. I am worried now.”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

“Is there not always?” she asked, one brow raised.

“If you mean my impending death-”

“Look, Magnus, I know you do not want to hear it but I am your best friend, so I am allowed to speak truths you would rather like to avoid.”

“Cat-,” he tried but she did not let him get a word in.

“Could it not be that maybe your Alexander is the one to break the curse after all?”

“He is not _my_ Alexander,” he insisted and gulped down the rest of his wine as if it could wash away her words too.

“Still… I have never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at him last night.” Her voice was gentle now, gentle as the touch of her hand on his wrist. Magnus did not dare to face her, afraid the warm honesty in her dark eyes would compel truths from him he was not ready to confront quite yet.

“He is a child’s dream, someone I will always be grateful to,” he admitted quietly, then cleared his throat. “Who lives under the sea, may I remind you.”

“Do the tales not say that true love always finds a way, no matter what?”

He squinted at her out of the corner of his eyes to catch her acting overly nonchalant. “Now you are just being ridiculous on purpose.”

Catarina shrugged but her grin betrayed her regardless. “Maybe. But I did mean it. You must have a bit of faith.”

“That is something I always seem to be low on.” He looked into his cup, eager to change the subject. “That and wine.”

It had the desired effect and Catarina broke the solemn mood with her familiar melodic laughter.

“Come on then, let us present the prince to his _yearning_ kingdom.”

Magnus nudged her with his elbow. “I curse the day your mother sent you to court to study beside me.”

Still, they both giggled as they made their way back inside, arms linked.

“Mh, no you do not.”

“No, I could never.”

The floor of the great hall had been polished to perfection, reflecting the warm light of a thousand floating candles. A dozen musicians played songs for dancing, though far more formal ones than Magnus would have liked. The graceful sway of couples drifting over the floor was pretty to look at but held little of a true celebration. From his place upon the dais, seated next to his parents at a table overflowing with food, it looked more like a dream; like a fantasy that could not possibly be real with all its shine and shimmer and bright smiles.

Magnus wished he could step down and sit at the same table as his friends, who were laughing and drinking and seemed to be almost the only people not trying to impress the royal family by feigning good manners. Instead, he had to remain next to his parents, smiling politely at offered well-wishes and gifts presented to him by people he hardly recognized – most of which, he knew, were only trying to buy his family’s favor with gilded armor or rare gemstones or the occasional glorified portrait of the crown prince. Still, he smiled politely at everyone, thanked them and promised to not forget their generosity.

He could feel the worried gaze of his mother on him. Although she did not say a word, he knew she could read him like an open book and clearly sensed his reluctance at all the pomp and festivities or tracked the way his eyes would stray to the entrance of the hall as if by some twist of fate a man with hazel eyes and dark brown hair would walk in.

And maybe, fate did owe a favor to the prince that night.

Instead of the grand doors, an entrance to the side opened and when Magnus turned to look he saw Clary and Maia sneaking in, arms linked and giddy smiles on their faces. The feast had started over an hour ago, but bored as he was, he could hardly fault them for preferring some alone time to sitting at a table with nothing to do. Quickly he cast a glance around and to his parents to see if anyone else had noticed but everyone seemed to be occupied with eating, drinking or dancing, and idle small talk.

“Your Highness,” a gentle voice he immediately recognized as Maia’s piped up from behind him then. “I think there is someone here to congratulate you.”

The prince turned with an exasperated but fond smile, expecting her and Clary to shower him with hugs and more sweet words although they had already done so earlier. Then the grin froze on his features and his mouth formed a silent _oh_ when he saw that the two women were not alone.

Next to them stood a young man, his cheeks slightly pink under the golden candlelight and pale skin. He wore a loose long-sleeved shirt, not quite this year’s fashion, of midnight blue silk and silver thread, tugged into darker pants that hugged his legs. That was the part which made Magnus gape even more, not the familiar mop of dark hair or the bright hazel eyes. His gaze stayed far longer on the long limbs, ending in a pair of shiny black boots, than he intended or was proper.

Only the softly uttered “Your Highness,” completed with a deep, elegant bow shook him out of his reverie.

A few people had already started to look over at the stranger but when Magnus rose, his chair scraping against the floor, even more of them turned to track his movements with curious eyes. He almost stumbled when he stepped down from the dais, his legs seemingly not able to carry him fast enough for the few steps it took to cross over to where Alexander stood, on land, right before him.

“How-,” he started when he stopped just in front of him but unable to finish his sentence. His mind was spinning, his heart tumbling, unable to grasp this reality and distantly wondering if maybe the wine had been spiked with something much stronger, playing tricks on his brain.

Alexander, dream or not, shrugged one shoulder, but the pleased curl of his smile gave away his excitement. “When there is a will, there is always a way.”

The simplicity of it tore a disbelieving laugh from Magnus’s throat.

“I did not realize there was a way _or_ will at all.”

“Of course there was.” Alexander’s smile faltered slightly and cautiously he reached for the prince’s hand, raising it to sweep the softest flutter of a kiss across the back of it. Magnus’ heart lurched within his chest, unaware of the whispers drifting through the hall as more and more people observed the exchange. This, most definitely, was not a fantasy his mind could conjure up on its own; the brush of lips against his skin felt too real to be a dream.

“Congratulations, Your Highness,” Alexander added, the pink of his cheeks deepening as if he had not quite realized what he had done just then.

“I do not think that was entirely appropriate for the occasion,” Magnus said, breathless, but closed both his hands around Alexander’s before he could withdraw. He looked almost a bit disappointed, maybe at his lack of understanding of human customs or maybe this was a common greeting under the sea. So quickly, before any more doubts could take root, scared of chasing Alexander away, Magnus added: “Come then, let me introduce you to my parents.”

It was as much a way to steer their conversations into different territory as it was a maneuver to clear his own head, still not quite convinced he was not dreaming all of this. Alexander’s hand was warm, his grip strong and sure and the spark in his eyes – if possible – even brighter than this morning. It was almost too much to believe.

Clearing his throat, Magnus turned, ignoring the way a good portion of the guests had stopped whatever they were doing to follow their conversation as best as they could. His parents stared at him in a mixture of shock and barely hidden curiosity. He sent them a self-assured smile to conceal the way his own world was spinning, unable to put the pieces together.

“Mother, Father, I would like to introduce you to Alexander…,” he drifted off, suddenly realizing he did not know his last name or if merpeople even had such a thing.

“Alec Lightwood,” Alexander chimed in helpfully and again, bowed gracefully. “It is an honor to meet you, Your Highnesses.”

The king’s brows creased, surely trying to remember if or where he had heard _Lightwood_ before. It was no name Magnus was familiar with, so either Alexander had made it up with good luck or it truly was his full name. The easy smile he wore, just the right side of reverent, spoke for the latter.

“Have we met before?” the queen asked gently as if she already knew the answer. Her gaze stayed on Alexander’s features, almost like she was trying to decode when or where they knew each other from.

Alec startled at the question, then shook his head quickly. “I am afraid not, Your Highness.”

“And how do you know our son so… intimately?” The king took a sip from his wine as if this was a normal conversation, unaware or unbothered maybe by the onlookers and listeners.

Alexander’s blush rushed back into his cheeks at the clear suggestion in the king’s voice and Magnus balled his free hand into a fist to tramp down on the impulse to shoot back a dry remark of his own. With so many people watching, any misstep of his would surely be spread around as more rumors and gossip by morning. It was enough that his father had decided on embarrassment rather than simple curiosity.

“It is a long story,” he said instead, smiling politely. “One I would not want to bore either of you with. But Alexander and I are old friends and I did not expect to see him here tonight. So, with your permission,” though he did not really care if his father granted it. “He will be my Guest of Honor tonight.”

As he looked back at the other man, it had the desired effect: Alexander’s mouth hung open in silent surprise, clearly understanding the meaning of it. Behind him, the crowd that had heard Magnus’ words whispered furiously, pointing and gesturing to each other.

“Mag-… Your Highness, I could-”

“Stop with this _Your Highness_,” Magnus interrupted, turning his back to his parents and steering Alexander down the table, conjuring up another seat and set of plates with an elegant swirl of his hand. “You know my name. I believe there is no need for formalities between us after everything.”

It was not wrong but as he said it the prince realized how it must have sounded to the people around them, unaware of their history and bond. Paired with the way Magnus had reacted upon seeing him, the way their fingers were still intertwined as they sat down – it was clear to see the easy conclusion people drew. But if they wanted to believe Magnus had taken a new lover and make up some heroic, romantic stories in their minds, then the prince would let them for now. None of them could even begin to guess the truth.

Once they were seated, so close together they could talk without prying ears, Magnus ran his thumb over the knuckles of Alexander’s hand he was still holding. Only then did he let go to gesture servants over to fill the plates and cups in front of them with any food one could ever desire. His guest seemed to have little interest in this display of luxury, his eyes fixed on Magnus as if he too could not quite believe he was sitting here.

“How long can you stay,” Magnus whispered because it seemed to be the easiest and hardest question all at once.

Alexander opened his mouth as if to speak but all that came out was a harsh, dry cough, rattling his whole torso. It took three or four tries and a glass of clear, cold water before he found his voice again, his eyes red with unshed tears and his mouth now set in a stern line.

“I am not quite sure,” he said eventually.

_How_, Magnus wanted to ask,_ and why_ but was that not a pointless thing to discuss now? He had hoped to see Alexander again, to have another hour or two where they could talk; where he could tug at that string around his heart and see what answer he would receive. Was there any use wasting precious time in asking what spell it had taken for Alec to grow legs?

“Well then,” he said instead and let the warmth in his heart warm his smile too. “We better make the most of it.”

He gestured toward the food, avoiding the eyes of his friends at the other table, who by now were surely interrogating Clary and Maia for any details.

Alexander smiled again and that seemed far more important right now. Magnus smiled back and ignored how Alec bypassed all dishes with fish in them.

By the time desserts had been served – warm cake that exploded in sweet bursts of citrus on the tongue, flowers made of ice that melted in a wave of lilies and roses – the two of them had emptied one flagon of wine that painted their lips red and flushed their cheeks. Magnus had recounted the best birthday memories he had and Alexander had laughed delightedly at all of them. In return, he offered stories of his siblings’ antics – the sister Magnus had met and two other brothers – and how it was often him who had gotten them out of trouble. It was clear though, in the fond smile and glint in his eyes, that he loved them so very much.

Talking to Alexander came easily, just as it had this morning. Yet now their conversation revolved around their lives, not about first meetings or a queen’s wrath or the ring, still sitting on Alec’s finger and glinting beneath the candlelight.

Magnus found whatever spell had him so fascinated with the other man for all these years did not wear off the more they talked but instead only seemed to grow stronger. His sour mood was long forgotten, erased by Alexander’s smile, the gentle tilt of his head when asking a question and the unwavering focus he gave Magnus, the reality of their fingers brushing every once in a while in warm comfort.

“I must admit,” Magnus confessed. “I am surprised to see you again so soon. I did not know you could… turn into a human?” It was more a question for he was not quite sure if this was truly what had happened.

Alexander shrugged and took another sip of the sweet red wine that had, as the evening went on, made him more and more loose-lipped. He coughed, choking on the drink and Magnus had to gently pat him on the back before he could talk again.

“Well, neither did I.” He sighed. “I wish I could tell you.”

“It is quite alright. You keep your secrets. I would not want you to anger your queen more than you already have.”

“She may not know that I am here.”

“Oh, so you are a rebel after all,” Magnus teased, nudging their elbows together.

“Not usually, not without a cause,” Alexander admitted with a smirk but the warmth in his eyes spoke of a deeper meaning to his words.

“I am glad you consider my birthday a worthy cause then.”

Alexander shook his head on a chuckle. “Well, you would have to thank your friends for that. I did not realize what day it was nor would I have found my way inside the castle without their help.”

Magnus finally dared a look at their table then and found six pairs of eyes staring back at them, though they all quickly pretended to be occupied with something else. Only Raphael and Meliorn seemed to be more interested in talking to each other, head’s close and bodies turned toward one another. Meanwhile, Simon made an excited gesture for the prince to come over.

With an eye roll that was more fond than annoyed, Magnus tapped one finger on the back of Alexander’s hand, nodding towards the table close by where his friends sat. “I think there are some people who are rather curious about you.”

Alexander’s eyebrows shot up nearly to his hairline when he caught sight of the overly innocent expressions on everyone’s faces, except for Clary, who waved at him with a bright smile.

“Well, I guess that is only polite since I almost got them all drowned last night.” It was clear from his expression that he was not quite so excited about meeting so many people at once but he simply stood from his chair, straightened his shirt and then followed Magnus down to the table with surer steps than should have been possible for a person new to having legs.

“So he _does_ remember we exist,” Raphael drawled immediately when they were in hearing distance. Meliorn barely hid their chuckle and elbowed him in the ribs.

“I am sure the two of them had a lot to talk about,” Dorothea said with a twinkle in her eyes that made it seem as if she knew something no one else did. Most likely something her wife had shared with her.

Magnus cleared his throat and ignored their knowing smiles. “We are right here, you know.” He laid a comforting hand on the small of Alexander’s back, who stood there as if frozen, settled in parade rest. “But we can leave again if you-”

“Now, no need to be so drastic,” Catarina chided immediately, chin resting on one of her hands as she looked the man beside Magnus up and down. She rose and suddenly, as if they had planned it – which Magnus did not rule out completely – all of them had abandoned their seats and formed a half-circle around the prince and his guest. “Put your manners to good use and introduce us instead, properly this time if you please.”

Magnus rolled his eyes but complied, gesturing to the two women closest to them. “I believe you have already met these two but, for formalities sake: Maia Roberts, Knight of the Jade Moon. And Lady Clary...”

“Fray,” Clary chimed in, then added towards Alexander: “It is a complicated story.”

“Lady Clary Fray, Stabber of Men, Killer of Angels.”

Clary rolled her eyes but the rim of her wine glass could not hide her pleased smile. “Maia did help with the killing, though.”

The woman in question beamed, then snuck one arm around Clary to pull her a bit closer. “It was a mutual effort.”

Alexander raised a brow, his gaze flickering between the two of them and the way Maia’s arm rested around Clary’s waist. “Another complicated story, I assume?”

“One for another time,” Maia amended.

“Now, this old man right here is Lord Ragnor Fell.” Magnus made a lazy gesture in his direction and smiled through his friend’s glare.

“Sadly, I lack any poetic titles like our dear Clary.” Ragnor held out his hand which Alexander took and shook after a moment’s hesitation.

“These are Duchesses Catarina and Dorothea Loss-Rollins.” The prince gestured towards the couple and Cat handed Alexander a new glass of wine which he took with wide eyes and a half-smile.

One after the other, Magnus introduced the rest of the group. Raphael Santiago, Baron of Dumort_,_ who offered a short nod. Meliorn, Knight of the Wander Woods_, _who, due to their connection to the nymphs, seemed particularly intrigued and Simon Lewis, who Magnus almost ignored because of how eager the musician was to meet the merman_. _He could see how overwhelmed Alexander was by all the attention and stares though he smiled politely at each and every one of them and returned their greetings.

“Everyone,” Magnus said, his hand still as a means of comfort on the small of Alexander’s back. “This is Alec Lightwood.”

“Wait,” Simon leaned in and dropped his voice into a suspicious whisper. “You have last names under the sea?”

Alexander blinked at him a couple of times as if he was not quite sure what to make of that statement, then turned towards Magnus with an arched brow.

The prince chuckled. “You must forgive us for not knowing much at all about your customs.”

Alexander nodded thoughtfully though he did not turn back towards Simon, his gaze instead fixed on Magnus with unwavering attention. “I suppose that is fair since all I know about humans are old tales and what is written in the Royal Library. And the few things you have shared with me.”

Something about that last part made Magnus want to hide his face as if it was not proper to talk to Alexander at all about his culture and traditions as if he had revealed too much about himself.

Next to them, a throat was cleared, then Dorothea’s suspiciously sweet voice piped up: “But I hope you do know how to dance.”

Magnus turned to catch her and Catarina smiling conspiringly and next to them Clary was poorly concealing a giggle behind a glove-clad hand.

“As his Guest of Honor, it is tradition to dance with the prince.”

It was, in fact, not a tradition at all but now that Dorothea had mentioned it, Alexander’s eyes widened before seeking Magnus again, who spluttered: “It is not really-”

“Oh, but of course it is! A long-standing, _very important_ tradition,” Clary interrupted before the prince could find an excuse to get Alexander out of this situation. Bold words for someone who had only been living at court a few weeks. “And I believe a lot of people are already waiting to see.”

A lot of eyes were on their group indeed, but more out of curiosity for the mysterious stranger Magnus had invited to sit beside him than anticipating any sort of spectacle. Though surely no one present would complain about more fodder for their gossip-loving mouths.

With a nod and a deep breath, Alexander squared his shoulders, and in any other situation, Magnus may have laughed at the way it looked as if he was bracing for battle, then held out his hand towards Magnus. “Well then.”

Raphael snorted. “Oh, I can just _feel_ the romance.” He yelped a little too loudly when Meliorn elbowed him in the ribs.

“Alexander, you really do not have to,” Magnus tried, ignoring his friend, but then Alec smiled and his heart did such a jump in his chest, he suddenly wondered how it would feel to put his arms around the other man and float along the dancefloor with him, for everyone to see.

“It is the least I can do.”

And then Magnus could not do much else but lead Alexander out onto the dancefloor between the already twirling pairs. Immediately they made room for their prince, some lost in the eyes of their partner but most of them gawking at them all too obviously.

“Magnus, everyone is staring,” Alexander whispered as Magnus arranged their arms, pushing between his shoulder blades to bring them closer together. Suddenly they were only a breath apart, their chests brushing with every inhale, Alexander’s right hand a warm, grounding presence in his left. When the prince looked up, he found again the sole focus of hazel eyes to be on him, an intensity that made him want to hide or bask in it – or both.

Magnus cleared his throat, tried to focus on anything else except their proximity and the way Alexander’s breath fanned against his cheek because of it, warm and made sweet by wine. The orchestra changed their song into a slow waltz, one beloved in all the kingdom and too romantic for such an occasion. He had a feeling his friends had something to do with this too although he did not dare check and lose sight of the man in his arms.

“Well, it is my birthday and I am dancing with a handsome stranger. We do make quite the pair,” he replied in a means to lighten the mood but his voice sounded more breathless than he intended and only seemed to add to the static energy between them.

Quickly he moved and immediately bumped their knees together. Alexander winced, then copied the move, only to, of course, step onto Magnus’ foot next. They both swore under their breath, then chuckled awkwardly.

“Forgive me, I am not quite used to these legs yet,” Alexander whispered, staring down at their feet with brows furrowed in concentration. “You have to teach me the proper steps.”

He tried again and got it right this time and then once more. And although they moved far less elegantly than the other couples, Magnus found he did not wish to be anywhere else, to hold anyone else in his arms and cursed his own traitorous heart for it.

“I will. If you stay, I will,” he whispered before he could stop his mouth from letting the words spill from his lips.

Alexander looked up then, their feet bumped together again but it got lost in the gentle, lovely curl of his smile. “I am not going anywhere.”

It sounded like a promise too large for the space between them, too meaningful for the time they had known each other. Still, Magnus let it wrap itself around him, as warm as Alexander’s embrace, and simply kept dancing.

Slowly they learned each other’s rhythm, the way their bodies moved and filled the spaces the other had left and even though every few steps they still caught each other’s feet, Magnus could hardly remember a moment he had ever been happier. He could feel the stares, the expectant gazes and curious glances of everyone in the room as if the whole world had stopped to observe but could not care less about what they saw or thought or read into all of it.

Somewhere in the background, the beautiful clear voice of the song’s lyrics started to drift across the hall, a poem in an old language most other nations had forgotten but not the people of Edom. Soon other singers joined, voices curling with love around the words and syllables and Magnus felt heat creep up his neck.

“What are they singing?” Alexander whispered but his gaze did not stray from the prince and if he noticed the stares of everyone else in the room he did not let it show. “It is not a language I know.”

Almost on instinct, Magnus’ fingers tightened around Alexander’s hand, feeling the rush of his pulse on his wrist and it gave him some comfort to know it was racing as much as his very own.

“An old classical poem.” He cleared his throat and avoided Alexander’s eyes to keep from blushing. “About two destined lovers.”

“Oh,” Alexander said, so low Magnus would not have caught it had they not been pressed so closely together. Then he chuckled as if Magnus had told some private joke, the sound vibrating in his throat and his breath ghosting over Magnus’ cheek. When the prince lifted his gaze again, Alexander’s eyes were alight with glinting humor.

“What?” he could not help but ask nor keep his mouth from curling into a smile of his own.

Alexander shook his head, then bit his lip to stifle more of his laughter. Their knees bumped again, their steps a little out of rhythm from lost concentration.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, still grinning.

“So you do not believe in destiny?” Magnus dared to ask, mostly to have something to say and focus on instead of the burning glances of everyone around them or the sung words echoing off the ballroom’s walls.

Again, Alexander shook his head but his laughter had faded to only a small, private smile. The tips of his fingers brushed against Magnus’ neck, so quickly and gently it may have been a hallucination.

“I did not,” Alexander admitted in a voice that was not hushed but felt too intimate despite their surroundings and the few hundred people present. “Until today.”

Magnus felt his eyes widen, unable to take them off the gentle look passing over Alexander’s face, the implication of his words hitting him like an arrow to the chest. He faltered for a moment in his steps, something that never happened, and it brought them both to a stop, standing in the middle of the dance floor and holding each other’s gaze.

“Today?” he asked finally with a certain type of hope rearing its head inside his heart, one he had not felt in years and tramped down as quickly as it came.

Alexander opened his mouth to answer but instead of words only a cough came out, dry and harsh like before and rattling his torso. It put a safer distance between them, their only points of contact now the elbow Magnus was holding in silent worry. Before the prince could move or act though it was over and as Alexander straightened, the light inside his eyes had dimmed too.

“Are you alright?” Magnus wanted to ask but before he could the song changed and someone tapped on his elbow.

Next to them stood the daughter of one of his father’s closest advisors, smiling excitedly as she asked for the next dance. Magnus cast a worried glance toward Alexander, one the girl noticed with a slight frown, but the other man smiled simply but tightly and let his fingers drift over Magnus’ one last time.

“I will go and talk to your friends, Your Highness. You should enjoy your birthday celebration with someone who does not step on your feet.” And then he blended into the crowd around them as if he was not a merman who had suddenly grown legs but a human used to court.

It was indeed a small reprieve from Alexander’s two left feet – although given how long he had had them it was unfair to fault him for them – even though Magnus found he could not enjoy dancing quite as much as he usually did. Still, he did not dare refuse as song after song someone approached him. This may have been an evening to celebrate him but a duty as the future king was still to keep his people happy, to not play favorites. One would have thought the high standing officials and generals would have understood by now that Magnus would never marry one of their children, that it would not matter either since he would be dead in five short years. Either they did not care and planned to use this to their advantage or they were foolish enough to believe the curse was but a legend.

Once or twice Magnus caught sight of Alexander, sitting with his friends and sharing a drink but each time their eyes met across the room as if he had been keeping track of the prince through all the swirling pairs on the dance floor. This suspicion was soon confirmed when, finally, as the song changed yet again, a familiar face stepped up to Magnus.

“Would Your Highness do me the honor of sharing this dance with me?” Catarina asked with a curtsy that was almost mockingly low.

Magnus grinned simply and swept her into his arms to the now much quicker sounds of the drums and fiddles.

“He was staring at you all night,” she said after barely a moment. Magnus did not have to ask to know who she was talking about.

“Oh?”

“Then when I asked, he blushed and told me human dancing is quite fascinating.” Her brows arched to tell him exactly what she thought of his choice of words and Magnus bit his lip to conceal his smile.

“That sounds plausible to me.”

“Maybe. But if so he was only truly fascinated by one _particular_ human.”

They both chuckled at that, her over her observation and Magnus to hide the effect her words had on him.

“They say you were gifted a heart to see through all lies at birth,” Catarina said then, more serious now and her eyes filled with the same gentle warmth as earlier this evening when they had stood on the balcony.

“One of the better birthday gifts, I assure you.” It had aided him in many situations, personal and political alike though sometimes it was hard to differentiate between the call his heart made out of want and out of truth, especially when the two mixed together.

“Then use that, Magnus,” Catarina urged. “What do you see?”

Almost on instinct, his eyes drifted across the room and through the gaps of dancing pairs here and there he caught sight of his friends’ table, everyone seated around it and Alexander in their midst. His view was obscured by Meliorn leaning forward, clearly trying to engage him into a discussion. It made the prince chuckle for a moment but then they were swept along with the crowd and suddenly he had an all too clear view of Alexander and the way his eyes flickered across the dancefloor to find Magnus as if by some silent call.

It felt utterly strange and cliché, to hold each other’s gaze across a room filled with people, if only for a moment before they were out of view again.

Catarina eyed him with a knowing smile and Magnus simply knocked their elbows together, a movement that almost threw them off rhythm.

“See?”

He did not dare answer, afraid of what his heart may lay on his tongue in the presence of the person he trusted most. He could tell at least Alexander’s intentions were pure and hoped, maybe, they were ignited by the same deep-rooted connection he had felt ever since that first night fourteen years ago. But beyond that, he did not dare make any assumptions. For all he knew, Alexander could be gone, back to the Eternal Sea by morning and their distance too large to bridge.

Suddenly, again, it felt imperative to spend as much time with him as possible, to cherish the minutes they had and the way it filled his veins with a love for life.

“I think I have had enough of dancing for one evening,” Magnus said and again he ignored Catarina’s knowing smile.

Slowly they waded their way through the crowds of people, some stopping to congratulate him, offering drinks and talks of politics he had no patience for. He declined with as much politeness as he could, aided by Catarina making up excuses and tugging at his arm.

When they finally reached their table, Alexander’s absence was the first thing he noticed. Everyone else was seated with more food and wine, except for Clary and Maia who Magnus had seen on the dancefloor for a moment, laughing and spinning each other around gracefully.

Catarina dropped a kiss onto her wife’s head before taking the filled glass of red wine she offered and falling into the seat beside her. Simon and Meliorn were engaged in a discussion about some ancient instrument Magnus was sure he had never heard of before and did not care to learn. Next to them Ragnor and Raphael eyed him curiously.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask, his gaze already jumping all around the room, Raphael spoke up in his usual polite drawl, a fond sort of annoyance bleeding through: “The balcony.”

He waved a hand in the general direction of the door leading to the corridor that connected the ballroom to the private quarters of the castle, reserved for the royal family and their closest companions. A place Alexander should not be able to walk alone for all the guards placed there were strictly advised not to let any unfamiliar faces through.

“You left him alone?” Magnus gaped, already brushing out the wrinkles from his shirt and turning to leave.

“I told the guards he is free to be in that part of the castle. But why would I accompany him? He is a grown man and can look after himself,” Raphael replied with a shrug, then grinned when Meliorn intercepted with a hushed whisper of “A grown merman!”

On any other occasion the prince may have teased him for the fond look glazing over his eyes. As it was, his focus was more on finding Alexander than his friends’ frustratingly fulfilled love lives.

He could feel eyes following him as he left through the side door, particularly his father, trying to get his attention and surely wanting to scold him on how rude it was to leave his own celebration so early in the evening. Magnus simply hurried along, nodding at the guards opening the door for him and then down the corridor.

The closest balcony was just around a corner, one of the smaller, private ones from which one could look out over the gardens and then in the distance the black waters of the Eternal Sea. Illuminated by the lanterns lit around the small space and leaning with forearms braced on the railing, stood the tall, unmistakable figure of Alexander, staring out towards the waters. The lights caught on the silver thread in his clothes, and Magnus still wondered where one would find such fine silks beneath the sea or if the merman had stolen them from a sunken ship. The image of it made him chuckle, a sound that got Alexander’s attention as he turned around, slow and unhurried as if he had expected it to be Magnus who stood in the doorway.

For a moment, they simply looked upon one another, basking in the sudden quiet. In the distance, the sounds of music and dancing and laughter could still be heard but it felt like half a world away now.

“May I?” Magnus asked tentatively, then stepped closer when Alexander nodded eagerly.

“I had to get away for a bit,” he admitted once Magnus stood next to him, close enough to feel his warmth but not quite touching.

“It must all be very overwhelming.”

“It is,” Alexander admitted with a grimace. “But truthfully I only wanted to get away before Clary could drag me off for another dance.”

The look on his face, a mask of comedic horror, and the mental image of an enthusiastic Clary encouraging Alec to practice his dancing despite the way her feet must hurt with it – something he was sad to not have seen himself – made Magnus laugh, too loudly for the quiet around them. Alexander did not seem to mind and after a moment, his lips spread into a grin of their own.

The night’s air was unusually warm around them for this time of year, smelling of sea salt and distantly, of the burned powder that had sparked the sky with lights earlier that evening. Now the moon was a dark round shape, red bleeding through at the edges, giving it all a mystical glow. Beneath it, the two souls on the balcony had drifted closer in their laughter until they were simply smiling at each other, their shoulders brushing in silent companionship.

“Thank you,” Alexander said then. “For tonight. For letting me stay and showing me how humans celebrate.”

It was meant as another joke, judging from his easy tone but Magnus’ brows furrowed at the implication. As if there would ever be a situation where he would tell Alexander to leave.

“Of course, I did. If anything, I should be thanking you for coming. It was truly the best gift I received.”

Alexander averted his eyes with a small, bashful smile and the pink the alcohol had left on his cheeks deepened.

“Fine then, I believe you and I are past thanking each other. “

Magnus quirked his brow with a scoff. “Not for a long time, Alexander. You saved my mother’s life. And mine.” It felt almost a lifetime away now, that morning when they had not been a prince and a merman but just two souls talking, kindling a connection with tender care. Suddenly Magnus was all too aware of how little time they probably had left, how little time _he_ had left as life was slipping through his fingers.

He let out a rough, unamused chuckle, the mood so suddenly dampened and turned dark. “Even though I am afraid it is a lost cause.”

“It is not. It could never be. Not to me.” Alexander’s head whipped around and his eyes burned with something like fury and determination, a fire in the dark night. Then, like an afterthought, he added: “Not to many people.”

Magnus shook his head, touched by his fierce belief and care but realized all the same that he must have misunderstood, unaware of the fate waiting for the prince.

“No, Alexander, what I mean is…,” his voice broke for a moment, dipping into a colder tone as always when speaking of an event he could not remember but had been told of too many times to count. “King Azazel cursed me when I was a child. It will only take a few more years until the spell is completed and I die.”

Alexander did not seem shocked by that revelation. He remained almost perfectly still, his eyes sure and fixed on the prince and Magnus was surprised to find the tale of his curse had reached as far as the Eternal Sea.

“But there is a way to break the curse, is there not?” Alexander asked after a moment but his tone implied he already knew about that too. Still, Magnus humored him.

“If we believe the word of an old cousin living by himself. No one can truly love me but one and only they can help me break my curse.”

"But Magnus, you are so very loved," Alexander breathed out, leaning closer to catch the prince’s gaze again.

Magnus smiled, gently but unable to convey the hope and happiness Alec wanted from him. "I know that. And I know how lucky I am to have them all. But it won't stop me from dying."

"Are you sure? Maybe Azazel did not—"

"The curse was very clear, Alec. Love of the truest heart. He did not mean family or friendship or the adoration of the people." For a time, Magnus had believed in that too, had hoped it would be enough to be beloved by so many that maybe the love of tales, the one to warm a bed in a cold night or sit beside him on his throne, would not be needed. It had been the foolish dreams of a child.

“I sought out the cousin who saved me once. Asked what it was my supposed true love had to do to break Azazel’s curse.”

He could still recall how he had burst through the door of the little cottage, panting and panicking, barely fourteen years old and shivering like a leaf.

_Sit_, the cousin had said and poured a bitter tea that painted his teeth copper. His bones had cracked when he lowered himself into an armchair made of moss. The air smelled of ocean salt and fish.

_I do not have the time_, Magnus had argued, clenching his fist because it was his life on the line, not that of the ancient, wrinkly man.

“A vow of everlasting love, sealed with true love’s kiss.” He scoffed now at the memory, shaking his head with it and his foolish, youthful belief he could somehow be saved. It had taken him years to understand it was a futile task, that most likely the old man’s spell had not been enough to alter a curse of such strength. He had lost hope along the way, in more things than just this but as the prince looked up, he realized he had been wrong about one thing at least. After all, it may have taken them years but he had met Alexander again and _again_.

Something fluttered in Magnus’s chest then, at the sight of the other man underneath the Darkmoon, alive and real and his body radiating a slow warmth against the chill of the night.

_Perhaps_, a voice inside him he had buried long ago stirred, awoken from its slumber but with panic, he fought it down again, squashed the beginnings of renewed hope he could not afford only to be disappointed once more. Princes could not run around, chasing fairytales and happy endings no matter how pretty they may be.

Next to him, Alexander stiffened, his hand hanging in the air as if he had wanted to reach out. It landed on the balcony’s railing instead, gripping it with so much force the skin over his knuckles turned even paler.

“Magnus… I am so sorry,” he said and, inexplicably, sounded almost guilty.

“Why? You were not the one to curse me,” Magnus soothed with a soft smile, by now used to any type of reaction at such a reveal. “And true love’s kiss… it is nothing but a legend.”

“All the legends are true,” Alexander replied at once, then smiled in the slow, gentle way he had all evening. “It is something my brother always says.”

His hand found Magnus’ on the railing, fingertips fluttering over his knuckles as if he was not quite sure of his touch just yet. His eyes though held none of that uncertainty, the hazel of them burning with something of a promise. “Please, do not give up hope just yet.”

It sounded like more than a worried friend, more than someone who had simply not yet accepted the fate Magnus had been dealt at birth. It sounded like a promise, like hope and again, the voice inside Magnus reached forward, trying to let him hear.

_Maybe…_

He could not live through this another time and pray that this time maybe, possibly, hopefully, he would not be disappointed. After all the scars his heart had already endured, he could not let his guard down with another person like that.

He turned his hand, letting Alexander’s fingers slip in the spaces between his own.

_But you already have_, the voice whispered before he could shake it off.

“Who am I to refuse such a request,” Magnus said easily with a sway of his shoulders and the light that it brought to Alexander’s eyes was more than worth his inner turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up, whenever that is: the tour of a kingdom, blossoming hearts and a dragon!
> 
> looking forward to everyone's thoughts and theories. feel free to share them in the comments or with me on [twitter](twitter.com/ghafaheys) or [tumblr](ghafahey.tumblr.com)!


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